Forsaken Love
by High-Elf-Swordsman
Summary: My first attempt at a romance fic. A man loses everything, including his life and memories, and must live a new life as one of the Forsaken. But what of his former life? Please Read and Review!
1. Prologue: Before Pain

Forsaken Love

Prologue: Before Pain

I still remember the day we were wed, my wife Sophia and I. It was a crisp autumn day on our small farm in Silverpine Forest. Our lives were simple, every morning I would awake at dawn to feed our small flock of chickens and tend our vegetable patch while she would collect eggs and clean the house.

The happiest day of my life came when she bore a daughter we named Gabrielle. My heart was so full of joy to see such great things had come to me.

But nothing lasts forever. The vile plague came and took my daughter while she was only one year old. I am no healer but I tried everything to save her but it all met with failure. Sophia and I grieved for months.

Then the plague came to me. I still remember the biting pain as I lay in bed while it slowly consumed me. My wife's tears stained our bedspread as I told her my dying words.

Even death cheated me.


	2. Chapter 1: Awakening

Chapter 1: Awakening

"Th….I…..n…..e….is….e…ake?"

Crackles of speech penetrated my ears. My eyes slowly fluttered open.

"So you finally decide to wake up." A vile voice addresses me. I see two…men? The have the physiology of humans but their skin is gray and decaying. The one to my left is missing his right eye and holds a scalpel that is dripping with an odd blue liquid. The one on my right appears to have had several of his limbs sown on.

"What is your name?" The one on my left asks, laying the scalpel beside me. I realize I am lying strapped by metal bands to a table as I cannot rise.

I want to answer, but I don't remember. Odd, my memory has been hailed as remarkable yet I cannot even recall my own name?

"Answer me!" The one on my left calls again putting his face close to mine. I can see the flies buzzing around his head and a maggot crawl into one of his ears.

"Hale, calm down," the one on my right says. "Many of our newer recruits are like him. Can you remember anything?"

"N…no…" I managed to choke out an answer. It feels like it takes all my effort to speak.

"Then let me inform you," the one to my right begins. "My name is Grayus and this is my cohort, Hale. We are surgeons here in Deathknell responsible for reanimating the dead or making Scourge, like you once were, join us."

"Scourge?"

Hale laughs but Grayus thrusts a bony hand over his mouth. "The Scourge is a group of Undead led by the vile Lich King of Northrend. They were the ones who started the plague that killed you. However, this plague not only slew the living, but brought them back as Undead. You were in the service of the Lich King, as most of we Forsaken once were, until our great leader, the Dark Lady Sylvanas, won our freedom. I know little of our lives as Scourge, as many of us forgot that part of our life when we regained our free will."

"How long did we serve this Lich King?" I ask.

"Roughly a year until our freedom was gained. However, some of us did not become free of his will so quickly." Grayus said.

"Like you," Hale cackled wickedly. "We had to operate on you to bring you to the side of the Dark Lady. You thrashed a great deal but we were eventually successful. We have now perfected that process."

"How long did that take you?" I managed to stutter.

"Four years." Hale replies.

"Do you recall any of your past from your death of five years ago?" Grayus asks me. I try to remember but nothing come. This is strange. Why? Why could I remember how I had a great memory but nothing else?

"No," I answer sadly.

"Then I shall give you a name as is my duty for ones that remember nothing," Grayus tells me. "From this day forth you are Darren. Rise now Darren, the Dark Lady will want to meet you along with our other new converts."

Hale removes the bindings and I stand from the table. Is this all a dream? Am I really truly neither alive nor dead? I gaze at my hand and the answer becomes obvious as I see a large piece of flesh fall off the bone. Hale motions for me to follow him down a hall and I comply. The place we are in seems to be some sort of mortuary and I hear pained screams coming from everywhere. The building appears to be built of granite and is most likely underground from the dirt that occasionally seeps through the ceiling. Here and there I notice bones, flesh and other objects I cannot identify lining the walkways.

Hale eventually shows me into a room lined with rusted weaponry and old armor.

"If you wish to serve the Dark Lady in our war against the Scourge and the living then you must arm yourself." Hale says as he straps a buckler onto my left arm and places a sword in my right. He hands me a thin mail shirt which I slip over my head. Isn't metal supposed to be cold? But I feel nothing even as the sword slits open a small gash in my arm. Was I even a warrior in life? So many unanswered questions.

Grayus looks me up and down. "This works well, you are ready to meet the Dark Lady to pledge your allegiance." I follow him back through the hallways and I hear more cries of pain, most likely former Scourge that they are trying to bring to our side. Am I already identifying with these…people? They did save my life after all, though it isn't truly a life anymore.

"We must return to work," Hale tells me as he and Grayus return to the room where I was; another Forsaken is throwing a corpse onto the table and nods to Hale. "Exit the mortuary and find a Forsaken wearing green armor and carrying a two headed battle axe. He goes by the name of Jadd; he will be your escort to the Undercity."

I exit, feeling I can learn about this Undercity from Jadd and not bother Grayus and Hale while they work. The steps are crumbling and in desperate need of repair and the area seems eerily quiet…

"State your name a business!" A stern voice says to me. I turn to see a Forsaken wearing green armor and carrying a two headed battle axe.

"My name is Darren. I assume you are Jadd?"

"Correct."

"I was informed you were going to show me to the Dark Lady so that I may pledge my allegiance and learn more of the Forsaken and these lands."

"Yes, follow me." Jadd appears to be a Forsaken of few words and nothing passed between us as we walked along a dirt road. On occasion we would see other Forsaken doing tasks such as chopping lumber or picking herbs but they did not interact with us at all.

We walked for what seemed an hour until we reached a great walled city. The stonework looked as if a master had laid it, but these walls were crumbling as well. Jadd entered the ruin and I followed a bit skeptically, for I still knew little of the Forsaken or their customs. I hoped this Dark Lady could give me some answers.

High-Elf-Swords (HES): There goes this chapter, hope you like it. The first was short because it was a teaser (a tidbit to get you to keep reading) but there will be no others like that because I dislike short chapters. This story just came as a random inspiration one night while playing WoW. Now for some review answering.

Tsabo-Tvoc Phyrexian-General: It was a teaser. There's a reason I never complain about the shortness of Seraphin's musings because certain things SHOULD be short (generally never more than a chapter or two at the beginning but there are exceptions).

DemonBredChild: Yeah, it is short, but like I said to Tsabo it's a teaser. Trust me; no others will be that short.


	3. Chapter 2: The Dark Lady

Chapter 2: The Dark Lady

The city was strange to say the least. Jadd escorted me through the ruined walls and down a small passageway to a strange room with a wooden floor and a pulley suspended from above. Jadd tapped a small button on the wall and the floor began to slowly descend as I saw the walls moving past us.

Several minutes later, the floor stopped and we exited through an opening in the wall. As we did so several other Forsaken entered the strange room and pressed a different button than Jadd had and began ascending.

The streets of the town were dusty and pieces of corpses were in evidence. Rivers of putrid green slime ran under crude wooden bridges as Forsaken in the markets called out odd wares.

"Want to buy some doomweed? Put it in your enemy's drink and watch the fun!" A female forsaken with a large mass of hair in a tall stack said to me as she held forward a bundle of odd herbs.

"I'll pass." I said as I continued to follow Jadd through the twisting catacombs of the Undercity. Eventually we reach a large stone room with two guards armed similarly to Jadd standing outside. Jadd nods to them as we enter. It is then I saw Sylvanas.

She was slightly taller than all the other Forsaken, and her skin was more pallid. She wore a black cloak and carried a bow and quiver of arrows. Her eyes were an eerie shade of blue but her face still held miraculous beauty even in Undeath.

"What is your business, Captain Jadd?" Sylvanas asks. Jadd kneels before her and pushes me to the ground beside him.

"My Dark Lady, here we have a new convert that goes by the name of Darren." Jadd indicates motioning to me. "He has the physiology of a warrior and will probably be useful in future campaigns."

"Yes, I swear loyalty to you, my Dark Lady," I say bowing lower.

"Excellent," Sylvanas addresses us. "Jadd, return to Deathknell and see about escorting more converts. As for you, Darren, I would like to tell you a little more about the Forsaken so that you are familiar with us."

"Yes, I would like to know all I can," I say to her.

"Our story begins several years ago; the vile Arthas had waged war against my homeland of Quel'thalas. I was the ranger general, but despite all my efforts our great city fell. My people were slaughtered mercilessly and many of us were reanimated to join his Scourge forces." She pauses before continuing. "Yes, I was once a High Elf. But that is unimportant now. Arthas made me one of his chief commanders seeing I showed great promise, but one day I realized I could think for myself, along with a good deal of my troops. Arthas had fled Lordaeron, being plotted against by the agents of the Burning Legion, a coven of demons who first created the Scourge for their own ends. Are you following all of this?"

"Yes," I answer succinctly.

"Good," Sylvanas continues. "Now that we were free, my followers and I went about taking lands for ourselves so we could survive in the ever changing world. We fought, and defeated, three great Dreadlords, generals of the Burning Legion. Two were slain, but one, Varimathras, joined my side and he resides in this city as the commander of the garrison. That is how we came to be. However, there are those that would oppose us. The Scourge wishes to take us back, while an insane order of human Paladins known as the Scarlet Crusade seek to wipe us from the land by any means necessary."

"I assume I will be fighting against these two enemy factions." I say.

"Only half correct, currently, the Scourge forces have not been making as many forays as of late. I have decided we will use this to our advantage to strike at the strongholds of the Scarlet Crusade. One is here in Tirisfal Glades known as the Scarlet Monastery."

"When am I to join the force and attack?"

"The plans are not fully cemented, and more troops are required," Sylvanas informs me. "It could be anywhere from a day to several years before we are ready to launch our massive offensive. We will drive the Crusade from Tirisfal Glades and make this place a haven of Undeath! Now, rise Darren and head to the barracks, I am sure Varimathras will want to begin training you along with the other recruits. You will find the barracks southward of here if you follow the road."

I stand and briefly bow to her, "My thanks, Dark Lady." I exit the room and head towards the barracks. But as I do something flashes through my mind.

_The face of a woman? It is very beautiful. She is smiling, laughing. She holds a pitchfork as she tosses some grain onto a pile. _

_Then she moves, she's holding a baby girl in her arms._

_Now she is weeping. But why? Who is she?_

My strange vision ends, that woman seems so familiar but…who is she? Perhaps I will recall later. For now I must find this Varimathras and begin my training.

HES: I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter, the next chapter will mainly be about Darren beginning to train under Varimathras and meeting some new Forsaken friends. Thanks for reading! Now time to answer my reviews!

OmegaTrooper: Thanks! I'll keep writing like you said, heh.

Promise of the Ghost Queen: I'm glad you enjoy it, don't worry, your questions will all be answered, and you will probably have a few more.

Thanks again for reading and reviewing!


	4. Chapter 3: Training

Chapter 3: Training

As I followed the road to the barracks, I began to see more of this strange Undercity. I saw a group of three Forsaken women, barely clothed, dancing while male Forsaken gathered around to hoot and toss coins.

"Want to join my guild?" A strange green creature, not a Forsaken, stepped before me.

"What…are you?" I ask him.

"An Orc! Now want to join my guild?" I had heard of Orcs before…but why were they in a Forsaken city? No matter.

"I'll pass," I answer. "I have been enlisted into the military, I need to start my training."

"Come on, join! You can get one of these exquisite tabards!" He motions to a piece of cloth that drapes over his chest which bears the emblem of a flaming skull.

"I said I'll pass," I say to him and stomp away.

"If you change your mind come talk to me! My name is…" I do not hear him, and I do not care to. I have work to do.

After several more minutes of walking, I reach the barracks. It is a large structure that is made of roughly-hewn stone. I notice two guards outside, but they give me no trouble as I enter. A sinister, deep voice calls out to me.

"Ah, another new recruit. Stand over there with the others, combat practice is beginning soon." I see the voice comes from a creature, a demon I suppose, with hooves, red skin, great leathery wings, and horns. "You should be able to guess I am Varimathras, that is if you are one of them with half a brain." He laughs, obviously this joke could be quite literal, as some of my undead cohorts probably are missing some organs.

I emit a slight chuckle, it is unwise to anger your superiors, especially when they are ten foot tall demons. I walk over to where I see other Forsaken standing, a gigantic stone room with shields, spears, swords, and maces lining the stone walls. They carry various weapons, but most are equipped in a similar fashion to me with a sword and shield. I stand beside a Forsaken male, roughly my height, but a slightly more muscular build.

"Now, for your practice today, I would like each of you to duel with the warrior next to you." Varimathras declares. "Please try not to kill your adversary, our necromancers have had enough work lately. Also, try to learn from this experience, it will help you react to sudden attacks and learn to think on your feet in combat." Varimathras then takes a seat on a large stone throne in the room. "Begin!"

The Forsaken next to me turns and lunges at me, swinging his sword in a very clean sweep. I manage to block with my shield, but the force of the blow sends some chips of wood flying off the flimsy construct. I swing my blade at him which he deftly parries, then retaliating by slamming his shield into the side of my face. I am stunned for a second, which he takes advantage of to slam me with the flat of his blade into my stomach. I fall to the ground and he raises his blade and swings it, stopping an inch from my face.

"I win." He declares, sheathing his sword and turning away. I try to push myself up, but I am too wounded from the blows, and the wind has been knocked from lungs, that is if they have not decayed. A hand grabs my arm and I am pulled to my feet by a smaller male Forsaken. He is short, and his arms are thin, but he has the strength to lift me.

"Sorry about Trengar," the Forsaken who helped me up says. "He likes to pick on those weaker than him, which is basically everyone. However, Varimathras loves him because he is ruthless and an excellent warrior."

"Thanks for your help," I say, sheathing my sword and strapping my shield to my back like I see he has done. "My given name is Darren, my real name I do not know."

"I understand that feeling, my given name is Kel." He tells me.

"Thanks, Kel." I say, brushing some dust off of me, though I realize it does not much matter since my skin is decaying anyway.

"You are welcome, Darren. Want to continue your practice with me? I do not hit as hard."

I nod. "Yes, as a new recruit I need all the practice I can get." Kel draws his sword, as do I, and our practice begins.

An hour or so passes, and Kel teaches me stances to improve my fighting style. He shows me parrying techniques and special strikes to deal more damage to the enemy. He even teaches me a way to use my shield to catch an enemy's weapon and force it back at them.

Varimathras then rose from his throne and spoke. "Good practice, all of you. Now, I would like to inform you all that tomorrow we will be sending you out in small groups on missions based on the skill levels I observed today. You will have one partner, and be assigned to a task in an allotted amount of time. Each group will have a different task, and successful completion may result in promotions or rewards. Now, begone all of you, and be here at 6 AM sharp!" With that, the Demon turned into a score of small bats and flew out of the barracks.

"I wonder if we will be grouped together?" Kel asks me as we saw our superior leave.

"That would be good," I say. "I know this may be a stupid question, but where do I go now?"

"You stay here in the barracks. This is where we soldiers live. We each are assigned to a bed, though many of us require no sleep. Follow me, I'll show you where the rooms are." Kel tells me as I follow him out of the large stone room. We walk down halls lit by torches hanging from rings on the walls. Here and there I see various paintings of Sylvanas or Varimathras, crude as they are. Skulls, most likely of fallen foes, can also be seen adorning certain wall spaces. We turn left around a corner and Kel bumps into a humanoid with blue skin.

"Hey mon! What's a bastard Forsaken like ye doin' here? Shouldn't ye be shovelin' filth?" The creature says, pushing Kel.

"Shut up," Kel steps back. "I do not want trouble."

"Your putrid kind disgust me, mon. Always bumping into me!" The creature draws out a long dagger and flashes it in Kel's face. He raises it, but something flies and knocks the dagger from his hand.

"This is OUR city, bastard troll! Watch your tongue or I'll cut it out!" I turn to see Trengar, the one who earlier defeated me during sparring. He is holding a throwing axe, and I notice one on the ground next to the knife. The creature, which he identified as a troll, curses as he clutches his bleeding hand and turns to leave.

"Thanks," I say to Trengar, but he snorts and turns away. "Are you injured, Kel?"

"No, I am fine. Not all trolls are like him, but many groups have great fear of we Forsaken as we are neither living nor dead. It turns to racism and many wish to silence us."

"But why are trolls here? And I saw an Orc earlier!"

"The Forsaken are still a fairly weak faction, though we are gaining strength," Kel says. "We have joined a group known as The Horde. It consists of the Orcs of Durotar, the Island Trolls, and the Tauren of Mulgore. It is an alliance of necessity. We help them fight the Alliance, and they defend us and aid us in defeating the Scarlet Crusade. There will no doubt be some of them with us when we attack Scarlet Monastery some day in the future."

"Ah," I am at a loss of what to say, but at least one of my questions has been answered. No more words are exchanged between us as we reach the dorm. Kel points me to a bed, and I lay down on the rough sheets and hear it creak under me. I cannot see much else of the dorm room, as there is not much in it save many beds all lined up and some rats scurrying between the rotting wood. Somehow, I manage to fall asleep.

_I dream of the woman again. She looks young, no more than a child, but I know it she. I see a small boy, obviously shy, handing her a flower from his shaking hand. She smiles and kisses him on the cheek._

I am still confused, but I have no time to think of this as Kel shakes me awake.

"We must get to the barracks to find out our mission and groups." Kel tells me. I rise and strap on my shield and grab my sheathed sword. I slept in my armor, but since I have no feeling it does not make me sore.

HES: Well, there's another chapter! SO now Darren has a new friend, and will soon have a mission to fulfill! How will he do? Well, time to answer a review:

Promise of The Ghost Queen: Glad you enjoyed it! The Dark Lady was actually an elf in life, thus the way she looked as she did. More questions will be answered soon.


	5. Chapter 4: Grave Robbers

Chapter 4: Grave Robbers

"The Gnolls have been robbing the mass grave sites we require to 'draft' more troops," Varimathras says to myself and Trengar. I cannot believe I have been placed with such a rude egotist, but it was not my place to decide. "You will find them in the mass grave sites to the north west. Bring back the heads of ten Gnolls as proof of your deeds. Here," Varimathras tosses me a large knapsack, "store the heads in this."

Trengar spits on the ground, narrowly missing my exposed toes. "I did not want a partner, so stay out of my way. I will collect the heads, just stand back and try not to die."

"Too late," I chuckle, but he ignores my joke. I would have rather been paired with Kel, but sadly he was sent on a mission regarding a delivery of potions. I follow Trengar out of the Barracks and through the Undercity, passing a Tauren calling out if anyone wants to buy a pair a glowing boots he holds above his heads. After about fifteen minutes of walking through the winding corridors and past an old throne and crumbling walls, we are back in the Tirisfal Glades.

I follow Trengar, who seemingly knows his way, for about two miles until we reach a small gully. In it are some hastily built tomb stones and mounds of corpses. I see strange creatures that resemble weasels but that walk on their hind legs like man. They stand at about 2/3 of the height of a regular man. They were using various implements to dig up and cart off corpses into a cave for what purpose I did not know.

Trengar let out a roar and jumped down into the gully, swinging his sword and beheading the nearest Gnoll. The others squeaked in anger and rushed at him swinging picks and shovels. Trengar deftly dodged and blocked strikes with his shield, and then began slicing the heads off every Gnoll until a pile of bodies lay around him. He picked up the heads one by one and began throwing them to me. I placed them into the backpack and closed the clasps as I shouldered it. He began to walk out of the gully, sheathing his sword when suddenly a throwing dagger landed in his right leg. He dropped to the ground another two imbedded in his back. Trengar opened his mouth and gagged as a strange green substance came out. He rasped as another dagger flew into his skull, ending his life.

I was stunned and began to flee. More daggers flew from everywhere: behind trees, from a flowing stream, even above in the air. Where were they coming from? And why had we been targeted?

I stumble as a dagger finds its mark in my knee and I drop the backpack. I see several cloaked figures that appear from seemingly nowhere to surround me.

"Well well mon, I told you I would finish you off! Damn Forsaken!" One of the cloaked figures says, pulling back his mask to reveal the Troll from the day before. He draws his cruel dagger again. "I'll have fun cutting you apart piece by piece mon. Now, where to start?" I try to stand but one of the cloaked figures on my right kicks me down and places his foot on my back so I cannot flee. This is it. The end.

The Troll stabs at my face, but I twist my head to the side and the blade plunges into my shoulder. I spit in his eyes and he curses and kicks me in the side of the head. "Now mon, I'll make your death long an' painful." He jumps on me and begins stabbing again and again at my back. I grunt as I try to ignore the pain and get my hands to reach my sword. His allies, whoever they are, jump on me also, pinning my arms to the ground as the attack continues. Surely, I cannot survive.

Suddenly, I am saved. A gunshot rings out and I see one of the cloaked figures forcing me down fall over, dead. Two Tauren, one clutching a rifle and the other with a staff, along with Kel and an Orc female holding a sword appear. They rush at the cloaked figures, who quickly disappear as the Troll yells, "Retreat!"

The Tauren with a staff begins to chant and a blast of energy blows one of the fleeing figures to the ground. However, before anyone else can make an attack the rest had escaped. Kel and the Orc immediately begin apply bandages to my wounds and helps me to my feet.

"Kel…you saved my life." I say.

"Don't thank me, it was Mais who fired the first shot," Kel says to me. I say my thanks as Kel picks up something from one of the bodies, an emblem of frozen crossed weapons. "The Scourge…they must be from a Cult supporting them."

"Damn them," The female Orc says. "As if we did not have enough problems already in Alterac Valley and…"

The Tauren with staff cuts her off, "I'll report this to Lady Sylvanas, the rest of you should head back as well, who knows when this cult will strike again." He whistles and a large gray beast appears that he mounts and begins riding off carrying the Scourge emblem. The others helps me up, with the other Tauren grabbing my backpack as the Orc and Kel help me along until after a long trudge we reach the Undercity. I manage to feel better after Kel applies another bandage once we arrive, and I take the backpack, heading solemnly to the Barracks.

I cannot believe what I have seen and how near death I came. Now I am Undead, so I did not feel as much pain as I could have, but still, this danger shakes the foundations of the world. Do they intend to destroy the Forsaken as Lady Sylvanas and others fear? And if that Troll was in our city, others may be as well.

Varimathras looks over the backpack and congratulates me. "I think a promotion is in order." I shake my head.

"Trengar, may he rest in peace, did this work. He deserves the promotion, I stood back and watched as he ordered. Had I not listened, perhaps I could have saved him."

"He can still be saved," Varimathras tells us. "You brought the body with you correct?"

"No, I left it at the graves." I reply.

Varimathras looks horrified as he grabs my shoulders. "You fool! The Gnolls were gathering bodies for the Scourge! And now they may have him! Trengar was a mighty warrior! We needed him!"

"I…I'm sorry," I bow before the mighty Demon. "Please forgive me." Varimathras turns away angrily.

"You are pardoned this time, but do not fail again. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Lord Varimathras," I say as I leave and head back to the living quarters. I pass into sleep, wanting this day to finally end.

HES: Poor Darren, what a hard day. Will things get better? And what of his cult? Well, time to answer reviews.

Promise of the Ghost Queen: Yep, Darren has to learn skills, in life he was a farmer after all, not a warrior. And he can't beat up Trengar since he's dead…or is he?

Tsabo-Tvoc Phyrexian General: Yes well, training is necessary. And racism is bad! Even for Trolls lol!


	6. Chapter 5: The Menace Arrives: Scourge

Chapter 5: The Menace Arrives: The Scourge Onslaught

"Wake up Darren!"

I'm roused from my slumber by rough hands shaking me. It's Kel, looking stunned and already fully armed for combat.

"Kel what's the matter?" I demand. He shakes his head.

"No time! Get ready for battle! The very fate of the Undercity is at stake!" Kel rushes out of the barracks and I see scores of other Forsaken troops racing after him. Varithmathras's voice rings out in the halls calling everyone to battle. I put on my armor quickly and draw my sword; I rush out of the barracks, after other soldiers, and out of the Undercity. I could not believe what I saw…

Scores…no…hundreds…perhaps thousands of Scourge! Though I had never seen true Scourge, I could tell from the blank stares and hideous bodies of these creatures that they were not Forsaken. They all seemed to move without their own free will, slowly shambling towards the walls of the Undercity. Wave upon wave of creatures, some made of many corpses sewn together, at least the height of three Forsaken.

As the mass of vile Scourge advanced towards us, I saw a battery of Forsaken standing upon the walls of the Undercity sending blasts of energy out into the ranks of Scourge, felling dozens with every blast. Arrows and gun shots from allied Tauren, Orcs, and Trolls also flew out from the walls, but for every Scourge troop that dropped, another two would fill its place.

It was then I saw it. A gigantic black structure in the sky, a floating pyramid.

"A ziggurat! Damn them!" I saw a Forsaken general cursing as he pointed at the structure. "We need to disable it! They troops are coming from it!" What he said held true, as I saw green waves of light descend from the structure and undead emerge from them to charge towards us.

This was too much. There was no way we could win. Our numbers were large yes, but I saw more and more of our warriors falling. I could not fight. I could not run. All I could do was stand and watch the carnage around me: Forsaken being overrun only to have their bodies consumed, Scourge having their skulls bashed in or cut off, only to have the bodies continue to advance and try to attack.

A dream, that's what this was, like all those about that woman. Nothing more than a dream! Such an event could not happen, the Scourge were not this strong, they would never try such a thing! Even if they did, the Forsaken would easily resist, not this many would fall!

It was no dream. I realized as I saw a horrid image. Kel, alone, rushed into a mass of Scourge troops, skeletal warriors wielding swords and wearing crude, rusted armor. He yelled a battle cry and swung his sword around, felling four. But more came; he continued to hack, as more and more massed upon him. I wanted to yell out for someone to save him, wanted to save him myself, but I could not move!

The Scourge troops continued to attack Kel, and he continued to fight, but I could see him slowing down. First one of the creatures hacked off his left arm, while a smaller, more deformed creature, a Ghoul, began to gnaw on the severed limb. Kel cried out again and again, but for some reason I could not go to help him. He parried desperately, as rusted weapons were swung at him from all dies.

Then Kel's legs were lost as several Ghouls ripped them out from under him and began to consume them. I could hear his vivid curses, every insult he directed at the beasts, I ever felt I could hear his heart cry out in fear. Now merely a torso with a right arm, Kel continued to hack, but I could see he was slowing down. He felled one of the Ghouls, the last thing he would ever slay, right before I saw a Scourge soldier plunge a spear through his head. Kel never stirred again.

It was not true; there was no possible way Kel could die! This was a dream! There was no other explanation! In real life I would have saved him! Right?

I had to affirm things for myself, it was not a dream, and Scourge still rushed forward.

"The first line is broken! Second line form up and attack! Buy time for the mages and warlocks!" I heard Varimathras yell. He stood behind the lines, upon the walls, even behind the lines on the walls. Such a coward, commanding us to fight but standing back and watching us die. Yet, that is how a commander is supposed to act.

My mind raced. I was a soldier, I had sworn to fight for The Dark Lady, yet, I could do nothing. Why was I so powerless? My only friend had just been slaughtered, and all around me the bodies continued to pile up.

Before me, armed troops rushed forward and slammed into the Scourge lines. Among them, I saw Forsaken I had trained beside: blocking, parrying, slashing, just as we had been taught.

I saw three Ghouls jump onto a female Forsaken; one ripped off her arms and threw them to the others who began to gnaw on these limbs. She screamed but continued to fight back, kicking in the skull of the Ghoul that had done this to her. Soon, it became inevitable she would die as a hideous spider-like creature slashed her apart with its long claws. Immediately afterwards, the horrid creature was blown apart by a blast of dark magic from a Forsaken warlock.

They all fought so ferociously: Forsaken and Scourge alike! They did not care about the ideals they held up, now they were lost in the mindless orgy of battle, caring only about the slaughter of their adversaries. I had to aid them, I had pledged my loyalty, I had made a vow.

The vow had come to me, not I to it, as another of the hideous spider creatures lunged forward, I feared it had come for me. I was mistaken, and a breathed a sigh of relief for a second as it passed me, only to see it lunge onto a Forsaken mage and swallow him in one gigantic gulp. The creature the turned towards me, and pounced. I could feel its mandibles gnawing at my neck, and I hacked in vain at the underside of its carapace. None of my attacks met with any success, especially as the beast knocked the sword from my hands leaving me only with my rusted buckler. I swung the shield, battering the beast across the face and sending it reeling with a screech. It lunged again as I got to my feet and delivered a swift right hook to one of its eight eyes, causing the creature to recoil and step back, just in time for a gun shot from a hunter on the walls to end its life.

I quickly raced over to where my sword had been knocked and retrieved it. I now was invigorated to fight, I would kill these blasted Scourge who had slain my allies and threatened my home! I would get revenge for being used as their pawn before becoming one of the Forsaken!

I charged blindly forward, swinging my blade, not caring what was happening. I ignored swords, arrows, spears, and other objects that came my direction or were slammed against my armor or skin. I swung my sword madly, slammed in the faces of Ghouls or Zombies with my shield, and kicked Skeletons onto the ground.

I lost all sense of time and space, I only saw the hideous Scourge troops that advanced my direction. I killed them, either alone or with aid, though where aid came from I could not tell. Then I saw him: Trengar.

Trengar's body, yes, but not the same Trengar I had known. He mindlessly shambled forth, alongside two Scourge wizards blasting various Forsaken with hideous spells that rended flesh from their very bones.

Trengar seemed to be moving towards me, and only me. Arrows imbedded themselves in his flesh but he merely ripped them out and threw them to the ground. An Orc armed with a two-handed axe charged Trengar, but he merely extended his sword, causing the Orc to impale itself. Trengar withdrew his weapon and continued his advanced towards me.

I would not run, I would fight! I yelled as loudly as I could and rushed Trengar, slashing at an opening I saw in the suit of armor he wore, obviously a gift from the Scourge. My blade was close, but he slammed his own into it, sending sparks into the air. His strength was greater than my, and I could barely stand the weight of a blow he delivered as I parried.

Trengar swung his sword in another quick slash and again I parried, but this time the strain on my sword was too much and it broke in half, the top half of my blade whirling off into the air and landing between the eyes of an unfortunate Ghoul; at least if I died I'd know I had taken something with me. Trengar's slash continued and missed my chest by a fraction, and then I realized it did not matter as he slammed his shield full force into my face. It was then I blacked out.

_The woman again...this time I saw her sitting alone watching the sunset. A man, perhaps the young boy from my earlier dream, walked over and sat beside her. They sat in silence, until he put his arms around her and they embraced._

I awoke with a start and noticed a Forsaken woman bandaging my face.

"Quite a hit you were dealt there," she said, her voice crackling. "You were lucky we have such good medics like me."

"What of the battle? Were we victorious?" I asked hastily, only to watch my jaw fall off which she hurriedly reattached.

"No, sadly the Scourge pushed our forces back and we were forced into a retreat," the woman said as she stitched the jaw back on. "Varimathras and Lady Sylvanas are currently holding a council with some other generals to try and figure out how to push the force back. Their attack has stopped for now as our gates are barred, but the fighting will most likely begin again soon, I am unsure how long the gates will hold out."

"Was there any news of Kel?" I asked her, unsure if she even realized who he was.

It was then the medic looked sullen. "Kel, believe it or not, was a good friend of mine. We found his body, but it was mutilated almost beyond recognition. We tried everything to revive him, but even our best Necromancers were unsuccessful. Kel is dead forever."

I passed out again, a combination of pain and sorrow. Kel, my only friend here in the Undercity, was now gone for good. And I could have saved him.

HES: Well, the Scourge has now attacked, but what of the members of the Cult? Are they involved? Kel is dead, and Trengar is now an enemy. What will become of Trengar? Will the Forsaken win the battle? Find out these questions and more on the next chapter of Forsaken Love! Now to answer some reviews:

OmegaTrooper: Thanks for the compliments! I hope you enjoyed this chapter too!

Tsabo-Tvoc Phyrexian-General: Racism is not funny, but you are entitled to your own opinion. I tried to make the fights better in this chapter and I hope you agree.

Promise of the Ghost Queen: Yes, just as you predicted, Trengar is back! Maybe he and Darren will have a rematch….Thanks for the compliments!


	7. Chapter 6: Push Them Back! Darren's Deci

Chapter 6: Push Them Back! Darren's Decision

I woke up suddenly, the doctors rushing around me to bandage wounded on tables, priests chanting divine words I did not understand to cause golden rays of light to heal the wounded. Burly Tauren carried the wounded in on stretchers, quickly placing them on wooden tables, then rushing off to recover more casualties.

No doctors are around me, all of them busy trying to heal other wounded. Various voices cry out, in pain, in anger, in frustration. My body is bandaged, but I feel no pain, only rage. Something inside takes control of me, and before I know what I am doing, I have grabbed a discarded sword and shield from one of the dead and am rushing out of the room, through the Undercity, to the gates. Doctors, priests, and nurses yell after me, but I ignore their feeble calls. Kel must be avenged; the Scourge MUST be pushed back.

I race to the gates and see them barred, and many bodies pushing to keep them shut. Something on the other side is ramming the door, and chips of wood fly everywhere with each slam. It is futile I realize, even before the heavy oaken construct is ripped aside and I see what has done this, a massive creature made of limbs sewn together from many corpses. It carried massive cleavers in its many arms, obviously the tools used to batter at the gate.

"An Abomination! Take up positions! Slay it quickly!" A Forsaken captain calls out, gesturing at the creature with a halberd. Warlocks, Priests, and Mages fire blasts of energy: daemonic, holy, shadow, fire, ice, arcane! The blasts tear into the creature's hide, slaying it and causing the monster to topple over. The brief cheers are short lived as a cloud of noxious fumes erupt from the Abomination's corpse; the greenish clouds of gas choking Tauren, Trolls, and Orcs, though not being able to affect the Forsaken.

As the cloud dissipated, a mass of Scourge troops raced into the hall. Ghouls, Abominations, the hideous spider-creatures known as Crypt Fiends, skeletal soldiers, zombies, and other odd constructs I cannot identify. The Scourge troops slammed into our lines, and many Forsaken and our allies were brought down, only to have their corpses desecrated by consumption of the hideous Ghouls.

I, along with many around me, charge into the fray to aid our allies. I spot a Crypt Fiend just about to slaughter a young Troll female armed with a staff, and I stab the creature through the back of the skull with my sword. She rises and mutters a quick thanks, then turns and slams her staff onto the skull of a Ghoul.

Seeing her safe, I turn to cleave a zombie shambling towards me in two. I get ready to slash another that comes my way, but its chest quickly becomes filled with arrows and it drops to the ground. I do not take the time to see who has aided me, though in my mind I thank them as I charge into a skeleton warrior and smash its skull in with my shield. As I finish this warrior of wickedness, I feel something slam into the back of my head and I am stunned. I feel blades slashing into my back, and I cannot move to counter. I am unsure how much time passes before I can move, but as soon as I can I wheel around and swing my sword at my attacker. As my blow is parried and a dagger is thrust my direction my attacker utters several words:

"Did not think I'd be back, mon?" The Troll! The traitor who joined the Scourge cult! My annoyance at being attacked from behind is replaced by blind rage and I swing my sword again in his direction. "Trying da same thing won't work, mon!" He laughs, raising one of his daggers to parry; the force of my slash breaks his dagger and my sword buries itself in his shoulder. The Troll cries out and drops his other dagger, and I see my opportunity, ramming my weapon through his face and quickly pulling it out again. His defeated body collapses to the floor and something inside me seems to say 'Your revenge is only half-done.' I know this voice is right.

Trengar, he had disgraced me, not once but twice, I needed vengeance. Something else inside me tried to warn against these acts and violence and revenge, but I ignored this voice, only focusing on slaying my adversaries.

And then I saw him, that vile scoundrel Trengar, laughing maliciously as he beheaded two Forsaken warriors with one swipe of his cruel blade. He wheeled around to drive his blade through the chest of a nearby Tauren, and then kicked a Forsaken warlock in the stomach, causing the injured one to curl up in pain and collapse to the ground where Trengar could hack it to bits. This slaughter needed to end, and I needed vengeance, two birds with one stone, so to say.

As much as I wanted to bury my weapon in his chest, between Trengar and I was a sea of fighters on both sides: Scourge and Forsaken. Taking a deep breath (though I am unsure if this would have any effect, nor if my lungs were even still operational), I charged into the melee. I swung my sword in large arcs felling Ghouls, Skeletons, Zombies and Crypt Fiends with every stroke. Every one I killed seemed to bring me one step closer to Trengar. After impaling a zombie on my sword point, I looked up to see Trengar, fighting through the Forsaken lines, seemingly moving towards me. It seemed he had wanted to finish me off; well, if he came to me, all the easier to slay him.

Trengar and I came closer every second, the howling battle around us seeming to slow as we neared one another. He raised his cruel, serrated blade as he neared, and I raised my shield to block. The blow never came.

I looked up to see Trengar falling backwards, a hole blasted through his chest that was still flaming, most likely the work of a mage. I was filled with anger; I was supposed to kill him; but, as Trengar hit the floor, I saw him begin to rise; I still had a chance for revenge.

"For The Dark Lady! For Kel!" I yelled jumping onto Trengar's wounded body on the floor, pinning him down. He raised his sword arm and I quickly hacked it off before he could strike. Then, with a swift motion, I dismembered the other arm and both his legs. Trengar cried out and tried to bite at me, but his teeth could not pierce the armor I wore, no matter how flimsy it was.

I slashed again and again, mutilating his already dying form. Skin, blood, and chips of bone flew into the air, coating my blade with a sticky layer. I did not care if the sword was ruined, what mattered was making sure Trengar could never return, the same fate as Kel. If Trengar's body was mutilated to that point, I would never have to see him again. After what seemed like an eternity, Trengar's body was no more than a putrid pile of flesh and bone.

As I rose and wiped my sword on the shirt of a dead zombie, I noticed the remaining Scourge forces retreating. We had pushed them back!

Cries went up from the Forsaken lines: "For the Dark Lady!" "For the Horde!" "For the Undercity!" "For the Forsaken!" The cheering was followed by a massive charge after the retreating enemy, and I followed. I doubt a single Scourge warrior survived our onslaught as they were crushed beneath our mighty advance. The Undercity was safe!

A Forsaken general clad in full plate armor and wearing insignias walked over to where all of the army was arrayed. He raised the visor on his helmet and smiled, revealing cracked teeth. "You have done a great thing this day, and tonight we can sleep knowing we have peace." The general began. "You are the heroes of today! Though we lost many of our friends, allies, and family, we can know their sacrifice was not in vain! Long live the Forsaken!"

"Long live the Forsaken!" We cheered back.

"Now, I have one small favor that Lady Sylvanas has asked me to make sure you all follow," the general continued. "Clean this hall!"

Groans erupted all around me, but were silenced quickly as Sylvanas herself and Varimathras walked into the room. It was true, the Undercity needed cleaning, the area by the gate was littered with many corpses, and the walls were stained with blood and burn marks from magic. My sword and shield were quickly replaced with a broom and dust pan as I began to sweep up some of the corpses on the floor and dispose of them in a gigantic bonfire constructed by the generals.

"The Scourge may be plagued, and burning their bodies is the only way to be sure of safety," one general pointed out. "The same goes for the bodies of those slain, they may have the taint as well, as could any of us. Immediately after the cleaning is finished, all troops are to report to the Infirmary for inoculation." More groans met this order, but a stern glare from Varimathras silenced the room.

The cleaning continued for several hours, and was fairly uneventful, until, towards the end, Varimathras walked over to me.

"I have been informed by one of our Lieutenants that you were seen fighting Trengar, is this correct?" Varimathras asked in his deep, daemonic voice.

"Yes," I answered curtly.

"I have also heard you mutilated his corpse, which would prevent his resurrection, is this so as well?" Varimathras questioned.

"Yes," I replied again, beginning to become frightened as the Dreadlord began to scowl.

"You imbecile!" Varimathras roared, striking me across this face with one of his mighty claws. I slammed into a wall and he walked over to me, grabbing my head between his massive claws. "You have lost Trengar not once but twice! He showed so much promise! He was one who had a future as a general in our military!"

"And so does Darren, Varimathras," the sinister yet seductive voice of Lady Sylvanas cut off Varimathras. "Put him down." Varimathras did as he was commanded, and stepped away.

"My Lady, you cannot be serious, Darren is mediocre at best and…"

"I did not ask for you opinion, did I?" She responded darkly. "If Darren could defeat Trengar, what does that show? Simple: He is stronger than Trengar."

Varimathras did not know how to respond and merely stomped out of the room, muttering foul words he thought I could not hear.

"Darren you are to be commended," Sylvanas said.

"You flatter me, my lady," I say bowing. "Many other troops did the same as I."

"Yes Darren," she answered, "many did kill as many, or more than you did, but you defeated not only Trengar, but that deadly Troll Rogue. Few saw that fight, but I was watching. I do not feel Varimathras needs to know."

"Do you not trust him?" I asked.

"Let us just say, once a Demon, always a Demon. Now I must be off, goodbye Darren." Sylvanas turned and walked away. I was stunned, the leader of the entire Forsaken had just given me such a compliment. I was baffled, flattered…

That night I slept the best I ever had, a dreamless sleep, the first in a long time.

HES: The Scourge have been pushed back and thus we are about to enter the next part of the story which involves efforts against the Scarlet Crusade. Now to answer some reviews (Author's Note: I only answer reviews pertaining to the previous chapter, so if you want your reviews answered, review on the most recent chapter):

OmegaTrooper: Thanks for the compliments! I'm trying to develop Darren's character as much as I can. He isn't exactly emotionally perfect as you can tell from this chapter.

Tsabo-Tvoc Phyrexia-General: To each his own I suppose. I'm glad you enjoyed the battle. And yes, the racist Troll did come back in this chapter, and as you can see Darren dispatched him for good.

Fallencow: Thanks! The part with Scarlet Monastery is coming, but not immediately. The reason it can't happen right away should be a bit obvious, but if not you will see why next chapter.

Promise of the Ghost Queen: I'm very happy you enjoyed the chapter! Yes, it was sad Kel had to die, but it was necessary to help develop Darren's character. Don't worry, he may make more friends in the future. I hope you liked Trengar's fate in this chapter.


	8. Chapter 7: Spring

Chapter 7: Spring 

I awoke the next morning to find the barracks already a buzz of activity. Everywhere I saw Forsaken troops sharpening blades, polishing shields, and repairing armor. I took notice and began to ready my own gear; I walked over to the whetstone and began to sharpen my blade. When I had finished, I strapped on my armor and followed some other prepared Forsaken out of the room.

It was not long before I realized where we were going: the Throne Room. This group of Forsaken all stood arrayed by Sylvanas as she rose from her seat to give a speech.

"The Scourge has been defeated, but do not think we are safe!" Sylvanas cried. "The Scarlet Crusade, that vile order of fanatical humans who want nothing more than to see us all become corpses, still has posts all throughout Silverpine. Though we plan to mount an attack on their stronghold, the Scarlet Monastery, we cannot at this time. Our forces are still recovering from combat, and we cannot risk a large engagement at this time. Therefore, it has been my decision that we will wait a year before proceeding with our main attack on the Crusade."

"Then why may I ask have you called your uninjured military forces here?" A female Forsaken warrior standing to my right asked.

"I was waiting for someone to ask," Sylvanas offered a sinister laugh before continuing. "Though we cannot make an all out strike at the Scarlet Crusade, we can perform several missions which can severely cripple their forces. As I have said, we must wait a year to recover before making our decisive strike; in the next four seasons, there will be series of four major missions I want all of you to undertake. We only have you three-score at this time, so we must be careful not to lose more troops as we wait for others to heal and…draft more."

"What is this task you wish us to undertake?" A male Forsaken standing in front of me asked.

"Another question I was dying to hear, or dead to hear I should say!" Sylvanas laughed raucously at her own joke, and we all joined in, fearing that failure to respond might result in malicious consequences. After the laughter died down, she continued. "There is a tower not far from the Undercity, to the northwest, which is currently occupied by the Scarlet Crusade. Their leader is a woman named Captain Skyla, a fearsome Paladin who has slain dozens of our brothers and sisters over the past few years. Your mission is to assault the tower and kill Skyla and the score or so minions she has with her. Be warned, these are experts who have perfected their skills in fighting our kind, you must be wary at all times. Any further questions?" Sylvanas paused, and when no one piped up, she continued. "Those who do not wish to partake in this assignment, speak now." Again, she paused, but was met with no reply. "Good, then head for the tower!"

We all marched out of the room, and left the Undercity, emerging in the bright, but not burning, sunshine that denoted spring. The beginning of a new year, the perfect time to start this new series of missions. I had no doubts; I was a mighty warrior, surely no simple Paladin could stand up to my prowess.

After several hours of marching, our group stopped briefly to concoct our plan of attack. Our leader was a Forsaken Lieutenant by the name of Skerel the Gobbler, a Warlock. His title of "The Gobbler" was apparently a humorous story among the ranks, but I did have time to ask for the explanation as Skerel began to declare the tactics.

"Y'see," Skerel began, "the tower is situated across from a river," at this point he began sketching lines into the dirt to indicate our movements. "Warriors, you will be Regiment 1, your assignment is the charge the tower head on and distract the guards. Also, one half of our priests will also accompany Regiment 1. The warlocks and mages, called Regiment 2, will come around the small copse of trees and began to blast the very structure of the tower with magic, further confusing the humans and adding fear and dissent to their ranks. The other half of the priests will accompany Regiment 2. As for the Rogues, you will be Regiment 3, yours is the most important of all missions. During the chaos of combat, you are to sneak up behind Captain Skyla and slay her; once she is dead, their morale will falter and the battle will be ours." He raised a remnant of an eyebrow and looked over the troops. "Any questions?" As per usual of the Forsaken, there was no response. "Good, then let's begin."

The Regiments arrayed themselves and moved into position; as a warrior, I was placed with Regiment 1. Among them were Forsaken armed with all melee implements imaginable: from spears to swords, poniards to pitchforks, axes to arbalests, bows to blades, maces to machetes. Our Regiment, as planned, was joined by a group of priests, who stood in the middle of our lines for protection should be attacked from any side. We marched through the lake, the ankle-deep water massaging our cold flesh.

As our Regiment came around the front of the tower, we heard the shrill cry of a bugle as Scarlet Crusaders rushed from the tower to defend their post. They all looked resplendent and unified in their red and white armor and tabards, covered with the insignia of the Crusade, a large golden "L" in fancy script. They stood arrayed before us, hefting finely polished shields and great hammers as they readied for our attack. The Captain of our regiment lowered his hand, and we charged.

All was chaos. I could not tell flesh from armor, weapons from hair, everything melded together into a cacophony of death. I swung my blade, blindly, hacking through armor, sending Crusaders to the ground, only to have them rise, still living, for me to cast them down again. I was invincible. No blade touched me, no cleansing magic found its mark. Blood covered me as I wheeled around, decapitating a Paladin before he had the chance to heal his dying friend.

My sword caught in the shield of a Crusader, who cried words in a language I could not comprehend. Holy fire surrounded his hammer as he swung it full force at me. I released my grip on the sword and jumped backward, narrowly avoiding the swing. The weight of the hammer pulled him to the ground, and I elbowed him in the face before managing to pull my sword out of his shield and bury it in his chest.

The battle seemed to continue indefinitely, and no matter how many Crusaders I dispatched, there always seemed to be more that poured from the tower. I heard one of the priests cry out that enemy reinforcements had arrived; Sylvanas had underestimated the enemy numbers! Some started to panic, but our captain urged us to stay firm, as we saw blasts of magic beginning to hit the tower. Rubble toppled off of its edges and crushed fighters below: Forsaken and Scarlet Crusader alike.

It was then Skyla made her move. Emerging from the tower, this woman, resplendent in red armor with golden trim marched out, alone, towards our lines. I saw the Rogues sneaking up to kill her, but she merely uttered some strange words and holy fire erupted from the ground, slaying them all in an inferno of divine energy. Some of our troops began to falter, but Skerel continued to shout commands and our lines managed to hold.

Skyla continued to advance on her own, cutting down Forsaken after Forsaken until it seemed she had killed more herself than all her troops combined. One of our more brash mages stood in her way, conjuring a ball of flame; she beheaded him with a casual stroke of her long-sword. Skerel himself tried to stop her path, casting dark magic upon her. Skyla, however, was able to dispel these attempts with pure magic of her own.

"We are doomed! Retreat!" Someone cried. The tower collapsed behind Skyla as she continued her advance, not caring that most of her troops were dead or that her base of operations lay in ruin. She only wanted to kill us all.

The Forsaken lines broke, and the remnants of our force began fleeing back in the direction of the Undercity. I, however, stood firm; I had a mission, and I would rather die than retreat. A few others stood with me, Skerel among them. He raised his staff and drew a line on the ground behind us. "Any who leave this line will be slain as deserters!" He cried, before turning to face Skyla. "Come on, bitch, let's see what you're made of!"

Skyla obliged, charging at our remaining force of only half a dozen. Skerel muttered some daemonic words, and fired a blast of dark magic, which Skyla again dispelled. Stunned, Skerel could only stand stock-still as Skyla proceeded to hack off both his arms and drive her blade into his chest; a blast of holy energy erupted from her sword and burned his body to make sure he could never be resurrected.

Ignoring any fear I had of this woman, I raced forward and aimed a strike at the side of her face. She expertly parried, but before she could strike me, I saw the eyes roll back in her head, and blood flow from beneath her long, raven hair. Embedded in her skull was a mace, and I turned to see a single Rogue holding a mace in each hand. He smiled briefly, before noticing the ashes of our comrades. Skyla had incinerated most of them; we could not salvage their bodies. Though we had destroyed the tower, we had lost at least half our original number, with many others fleeing in fear.

We returned half-hearted to the Undercity, and were greeted happily by many other Forsaken, including those that had cowardly fled in our time of need. The Scarlet Crusade forces and tower lay in ruin, and Skyla was dead. I had been assigned them task of severing Skyla's head from her corpse, and bringing it to Sylvanas.

Sylvanas took the head and hung it on a wall, not offering a single word. The air about her seemed malicious, and we could tell she was angry that the attack had not gone according to plan. Spring…the season of Life, had only brought the Forsaken death.

HES: Sorry this update took so long, I have been trying to finish another one of my fics and then…writer's block! So I took a break to work on this one. Now to answer some reviews:

Promise of the Ghost Queen: Yeah, Abominations are weird, but interesting. I knew you'd like seeing Trengar die; he was a pompous idiot anyway. Darren's feelings will tend to change, let's just say he has many sides to his personality. Glad you liked the chapter!

Anime-Fan-Girlz: Glad you like it! The suspense is necessary to keep things interesting; I hope you continue to enjoy the story!

HES: I'm glad you all enjoyed the chapter! Keep on reading and reviewing! Thanks!


	9. Chapter 8: Summer

Chapter 8: Summer

Spring passed, and with it the lives of many more Forsaken who fell nobly in the line of duty to Lady Sylvanas. I had few tasks during this period, save assigned periods in which I had guard duty, though these instances usually consisted of me falling half-asleep outside the walls of the Undercity.

Summer arrived and I was filled with two itches: the first from the heat which caused moisture to cling beneath by armor, the second from an urge to do something…exciting. Perhaps Lady Sylvanas realized my desire, as mid-way through summer she called me to her throne room to receive orders.

"I have a special task for you, Darren, one which you will be performing alone," Lady Sylvanas informed me. "To the east there is a camp of Scarlet Crusaders who at several instances have attacked our troops and caravans which leave and enter the city daily. These Crusaders have no choice but to live off the land; while there are many beasts to slay for meat in the area, there is but one water source, a small lake near their camp."

"My lady, is it not true that to the south there is the great Lordamere Lake?" I asked, having heard this lake mentioned in times past.

"Correct, Darren," she responded. "Though this is true, the lake is teeming with Murlocs, Elementals, and other creatures which the Crusade would rather not waste their time with." I nodded to show I understood, and she continued. "Therefore, this small lake is vital to the Crusade's military actions. Without water from it, their troops would be forced to reposition or begin supply lines, which would be far too risky in these lands. The job you will undertake is to poison this lake, so that the Crusade will either be forced to abandon the area, have water brought in through risky supply lines, or, if we are lucky, all die."

"Is there a chance they could purify the water, Lady Sylvanas?" I inquired, to which she shook her head.

"The poison you will be using has been specially concocted by some of our most talented alchemists. This mission will also be a field test of the poison's effects, as we intend to use it as a coating for blades and arrows in the future." Here she paused and clapped her hands twice, summoning for a hunched over Forsaken alchemist in deep purple robes to enter the room. She whispered several words to him, and he nodded and procured a vial of yellow liquid from within the folds of his robe. Lady Sylvanas thanked him, and handed me the vial. "Darren, night is falling, and this will be your best window of opportunity. Dispense the water in the lake, and leave before dawn so as not to arouse their suspicions. Now, go forth!" She pointed towards the exit, and I nodded, bowed, and left the room after slipping the vial into a small pouch on my belt.

I was able to leave the city without being accosted for alms, purchase, or joining one of the many guilds advertised throughout the city. After I left, I began to jog along the eastward road towards the lake. Though I knew not where I was going, finding a single lake to the east did not sound like a difficult task.

After an hour I reached the lake. The moon streamed down around me and seemed to be an eerie beacon to indicate my presence. I know not whether it was sheer luck, stealth, or the poor night vision of the Scarlet Crusade sentries which kept me from being discovered and slain. As I poured the contents of the vial into the lake, I attempted to count the number of Crusaders visible in the camp, eventually reaching fifty-odd or so. I again thanked my luck, as I would be easily slain should even one notice me. As I finished emptying the vial, I was greeted with some luck as four dead fish floated to the surface. Knowing my task completed, and ready to return to my bed, I swiftly headed back towards the Undercity.

Though my initial mission had gone smoothly, my luck almost immediately ran out. Along the road back, I came upon an Orc corpse lying flat on its stomach, gashes covering its back. Before I could break into a run, I felt something in my spine snap and I froze, unable to even twitch a finger. I cursed mentally, unsure of what was going on, as I felt a blade, or perhaps two, plunged repeatedly into my back.

I know not how I survived, just that soon after the pain stopped, and I hear screams of pain from behind me. A Forsaken priest rushed up to me, and began casting healing spells to seal the wounds. He muttered some words about "Damned rogues" but said not much more as he carried me back to the Undercity.

I reported to Lady Sylvanas the next morning after sleeping and having my wounds bandaged at the barracks. She acknowledged my effort, and praised my bravery in undertaking such a mission. She claimed she had little more for me to do, and advised me to rest up and prepare for on oncoming mission…

_Again I slept and dreamed of her, that beautiful woman who possessed my mind. This time I saw her in a white bridal gown, standing before the altar with that man from before. The wedding was elegant, with flowers everywhere, and birdsong. The guests came up and continually complimented the couple, but who were they? The heat of summer then swept over my dream, and ended the wondrous scene. _

HES: And so Darren's struggle both mentally and physically continues. I apologize for the lateness of this update (I was trying to finish another fanfic, and also I started planning another). I also realize this is a short chapter, but it is mainly to help the story ahead; I promise that future chapters (especially the third one from now), will be substantially longer and more detailed, thanks for understanding. Now to answer some reviews from my loyal fans!

OmegaTrooper: I am glad you enjoy! I am trying to make it as deep as I can, to give the readers a view of Darren's mind as well as his adventures.

Nashra: Thanks, I am glad you appreciate my writing! I am trying to show the Horde as a little more benevolent, just to add some flavor to things.

Tsabo-Tvoc Phyrexian-General: Thanks! Yes, but I was searching for alliteration with the weapons, not rhyming. I am glad you liked the fight, though I'm sorry you didn't like the ending. And no, that event which I told you about won't happen for awhile yet.

Promise of the Ghost Queen: Yeah, Darren doesn't get much rest, so I decided to give him a (relatively) easier time in this chapter. The Forsaken are having some bad luck, but things may improve in the chapters to come. Skyla was quite insane, but so are most Scarlet Crusaders; Sylvanas wanted her head to make an example of what she does to her enemies (Sylvanas isn't exactly the sanest person either). I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, and updates should be more frequent in the weeks to come!

HES: Thanks again all for reading! Please review and give me your input if you can!


	10. Chapter 9: Autumn

Chapter 9: Autumn

The wistful breezes of autumn lick at every crevice of the Undercity as the leaves transformed from dull greens to vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges, only to die shortly after and become lifeless brown husks as they feel to the cold earth.

"Such is the cycle of life," I heard a druid once say. "The birth in spring, the growth in summer, the again in autumn, and lastly the death in winter. Nothing lives long in these tainted lands anyway," he finished, with a sigh.

Having long healed since the attack by that accursed rogue, I was now ready to tackle the next mission Lady Sylvanas would bestow upon me. One of her messengers summoned me towards the close of autumn, and I happily obliged to see what tasks the Dark Lady had in store for me.

"Salutations, Darren," the Dark Lady greeted me as I enacted my customary bow. "Your next task is both assault and support." She paused, wondering if I would question the mission; seeing that I was silent, she continued. "About two miles north of the Undercity lies a fairly vast farmland, inhabited by those vile humans. While they are not of the Scarlet Crusade, they supply the Crusade with necessary food in return for defense of their farms. It has come to the attention of our scouts, however, that most of the Scarlet Crusaders have abandoned their posts on these farms for the time being, as the farmers are harvesting and do not need others in their way obstructing their job. Darren, you task is to steal as much produce as you can from these farmers, and torch anything you cannot carry in this." Upon finishing, Lady Sylvanas tossed a large knapsack at my feet. "This should be helpful in carry whatever vegetables, fruits and grain your may acquire; this food will immediately be added to our granaries in order to help our own people."

"So we both sabotage the Crusade and help ourselves," I noted.

"Correct," Lady Sylvanas smiled at my realization. "You may finally be getting the idea of military sabotage. Now, go!" I stood, and bowed again before leaving the room, slinging the knapsack across my shoulders.

The walk was pleasant; no rogues attacked me on this day. I took in the scenery as I walked: the leaves floating down in a somber waltz, what birds there were flying south to the warmer climates, the sun dipping lower ever faster as the days grew shorter. I completed my walk in less than half an hour, spying the vast farming fields before me. It was amazing that in such a desolate land crops could be grown. I admired the efforts of these humans, though shook of any notions of respect I had and reminded myself of my important mission.

The farmers did not look like much of a threat, and I happily drew my sword, knowing their blood would be easy to spill. After slaying them, I could gather the food I needed and use the flint and tinder Lady Sylvanas had cleverly place in my knapsack to destroy anything I could not carry. I charged in, ready to kill the few farmers I saw as my opposition. That was my first mistake.

"One of the blasted Undead! Let's put this filth back in the ground where he belongs!" A farmer with a long gray beard holding a hoe yelled. His comrades, carrying hoes, rakes, pitchforks, and other farming tools all set upon me. There were at least six, which was more than I had expected. The group of farmers began to club me with their tools, and I was barely able to block and parry the attacks. One of them was even able to dislocate my left shoulder with a strike from his shovel, making my left arm, which held my shield, useless. Despite my injuries, I continued to fight on. I struck with as much strength as I could muster at the gray-bearded farmer and was able to deliver a stab straight to his chest. He fell to the ground, blood gushing from his wound; three of the others farmers rushed to aid him, rapidly tearing their clothes to make crude bandages for his wound. The other two farmers continued to assault me, but my martial prowess was better than theirs and I was able to behead them both with a single, clean, slash. The remaining farmers, fearing for their lives, abandoned the area, carrying their friend away.

I could have chased the men down, and perhaps even killed them if I had wished. Something inside me, however, urged me to spare their lives. After relocating my shoulder, I began to collect the crops I had set out to gather; mainly carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, and a single good-sized pumpkin that caught my eye. It seemed a shame to dispose of such fine food, but I knew my mission and made a torch by hacking off a bough of a nearby tree and wrapping dried moss around the tip. I light my improvised torch using the flint and tinder, and began to set the fields alight. I then packed my bag and left, not looking behind me. That was my second mistake.

It isn't wise to leave a fire unattended, especially if you happen to have a piece of cloth trailing along your leg. By the time I realized that my leg was burning there was nothing I could do, and I raced desperately to find a water source. The lake! I remembered from my mission in the summer the exact location! But what of the poison I had deposited into it? Realizing that I would die if I didn't I took the risk of jumping into the lake upon relocating it after an hour of rapid running. The water felt odd, but I pushed any fears of the poison out of my mind as the cool water quenched the fire.

Sodden, but no longer scorched, I climbed out of the lake and trudged back to the Undercity. My movements became more sluggish with each step, and I collapsed as I reached the gate of the Undercity.

_A dream…this time it was of those some farmers I had fought earlier that day. The man who was with the woman in my previous visions was with them, toiling in the fields. The men laughed and talked and they harvest the fields, singing merry tunes and whistling. The woman appeared and walked to the man, her husband, and embraced him. He handed her a slender carrot which she gleefully consumed, then kissed him for the gift._

"Darren, what is it with you and injuries?" The medic sighed as she saw me awaken. "Kel was never this bad." I coughed as I sat up.

"Sadly, Kel isn't around to teach me any prudence," I stated.

"For future reference, don't go swimming in poisoned ponds," the medic responded, wagging her bony finger at me. "It took four bottles of anti-toxin to bring you back; it's a miracle you survived at all!"

"I guess I'm just lucky," I replied, realizing just how true the statement was. "What did the Dark Lady think of my work?"

"She has already taken the produce, and informed me to tell you that you are to be commended for your successful mission. As always, she will contact you when she is in need of your services."

"Good, now for some shut-eye," I answered, falling back into the hazy world of slumber.

HES: Darren gets bashed around, but he always comes out on top, eh? Sorry, as usual, for the long delay in this chapter. Thank you all very much for sticking by me and being patient! Now to answer your reviews:

Omega Trooper: Thanks! I am glad you like the way I am developing Darren's character. I am trying to make him deep, and show that even the Forsaken have thoughts and feelings.

Promise of the Ghost Queen: Yes, poor Darren. Don't worry, things will improve for him, he does have excellent luck in surviving after all. Thanks for saying you liked the lake idea; I hope you liked the mission in this chapter also! This chapter is a bit longer than the last, but don't expect a pretty long chapter until 2 chapters from now. Trust me; something big and cool is coming.

HES: Thanks again all! Please read and review if you can, I value your input!


	11. Chapter 10: Winter

Chapter 10: Winter

I didn't mind the cold until the second snow of winter. It seemed perfectly normal to me that snow would fall in the Tirisfal Glades, and even that there would be a great deal of it. What I did not expect was the midwinter blizzard.

I had been ordered by Sylvanas to do some reconnaissance on various Scarlet Crusade bases, but as I headed for the gate of the Undercity, I was met with a ghastly surprise. Five muscular Tauren, along with two Abominations, and a slew of Forsaken Guards were pushing at the massive gate, attempting to force it open.

"Mind….lending…us…a…hand?" Grunted one of the Tauren, his muscles bulging under the strain. I rushed over and lent my strength, but even with my aid the great iron structure would not budge an inch. Others rushed to help us, including an Orc and six Trolls, but our efforts were in vain as the great gate was frozen shut.

After heaving for an hour, we finally gave up and retreated back into the Undercity as more snow began to fall. I reported sullenly to Sylvanas, informing her of the reason why it was impossible for me to even attempt my mission. Sighing, Sylvanas let out a shrill cry of a name, "Roxanne!"

A hunched over, female Forsaken wearing black robes with red edges entered from one of the chambers adjoining the throne room of Sylvanas. Roxanne, as was this Forsaken's name, carried a dagger in her right hand and a tome in her left. The tome had a cover and bindings of purple leather, and strange runes were etched along its spine.

"What is your whim, Dark Lady?" Roxanne asked, taking a bow, causing her hunched body to hunch even lower.

"The gate has frozen, and you seem the best up to the task," Sylvanas answered.

"An easy request," Roxanne snickered and walked out of the room. Wanting to see just what the solution was, I hurried after Roxanne.

Upon arriving at the gate, Roxanne opened the tome and began an arcane chant. She waved her dagger above her head as she uttered each word, each syllable causing her to point the dagger in a different direction. Finally, her incantation ended, and fire wreathed itself around Roxanne's right hand and the dagger. She pointed the weapon at the gate, and flames licked at the iron, causing a great groaning as the metal expanded and the ice began to melt. Less than a minute passed before the gate was thawed, and Roxanne chuckled as she waltzed back into the Undercity. "Child's play."

Something told me to return to Sylvanas and not only inform her of Roxanne's action, but also to confirm my mission.

Sylvanas was talking with Varimathras when I entered her throne room; her tone was hushed and hasty, as if a piece of information vital to the survival of the Forsaken was being passed between the Dark Lady and her Champion. Upon noticing me, Sylvanas made several hasty gestures and Varimathras bowed before exiting the throne room.

"What is your business here, Darren?" Sylvanas growled at me in a tone that chilled my bones. I shivered as I answered, picking my words carefully.

"My Dark Lady…M-mistress Sylvanas, I have come to confirm my reconnaissance mission," I stammered, offering the lowest bow I had ever enacted.

"Darren, recent news has reached me of something for more drastic," Sylvanas replied. "Two months ago, a contingent of our scouting forces were attacked by the Scarlet Crusade; we presumed they all had been slaughtered. Recently, however, I have heard that though some were slain, others were merely captured and are being tortured to try and extract information about the Forsaken cause. Darren, your mission is to head west to a small outpost the Crusade has set up for holding and interrogating prisoners."

I bowed again, thanked her, and left. Again, I headed towards the Undercity gate, though this time I was able to exit through the massive construct.

The Crusade's western outpost was much the same as the others I had seen: a tall, granite watchtower with clumps of tents scattered around its base. It was midday when I arrived, so the camp was more sparsely populated as some of the troops were, no doubt, away attempting to fight my brethren.

The Scarlet Crusaders that were in the camp, however, were mainly lounging around: sharpening blades, polishing armor, cooking, and fishing, along with other domestic chores. Sentries were posted on the top of the tower, each holding a gun or bow, with a sword or axe slung across their backs or hips.

Stealth would be useful, and the element of surprise was on my side. There was little cover to be had, aside from a copse of trees I entered as I approached the camp. With only my sword, my shield, and my wits, I would somehow need to infiltrate the camp and free the prisoners which I assumed were inside the tower.

Judging by my estimates, there were at least a score of Crusaders in the camp. Luckily for me, they all looked like warriors, so magic was not an issue I would have to deal with. Their numbers, however, were still a problem. I needed some sort of distraction…

It was then inspiration struck me; at the base of the tower were several cannons, along with a stock of gun powder loaded into barrels stacked atop one another. The resulting explosion would be enough to cause a distraction, but not destroy the tower and slay the prisoners. I circled through the tree cover, the fresh snow crunching beneath my feet, in an attempt to stay concealed yet come as close to the tower's base as possible.

I was eventually able to manuevour myself within a short distance of the tower's base; if I sprinted fast enough, then I could reach the powder and detonated it before the sentries noticed me and sounded the alarm. Grabbing my trusted flint and tinder, I raced forward at full pelt towards the barrels.

As I reached the powder, one of the sentries cried out in a tongue I died not understand. I narrowly dodged an arrow as I struck a spark to one of the fuses and dashed back into the cover of the woods, raising my shield to protect myself from any debris resulting from the blast. Flames erupted on the tents of the Crusaders, and they rushed with buckets to a nearby river for water to quench the fire. The sentries were shaken up by the blast, and one, along with five or six other Crusaders, lay dead around the tower's base.

With my plan in motion, I took initiative. I burst from the cover of the trees and raced into the tower, which still shook slightly from the explosion. The warriors of the Scarlet Crusade were too busy saving their camp from the flames to notice as I descended down a flight of steps into the basement of the tower. Here I saw horrors I never thought I would witness.

The bodies of countless Forsaken lay arrayed on instruments of torture; some were clearly dead, while others moaned showing they still held a glimmer of life. I raced over to my brethren, cutting the ropes from racks, loosening manacles, and opening cages to free them from this ghastly place.

"Come with me, I am here to free you," I said to the captives. They quivered with fear as I bade them climb the stairs. None spoke as we exited the camp and raced back to the Undercity. I will never know what the Crusade did to these Forsaken, but I swore I would get revenge for whatever it was they had done.

The fire still raged as we escaped the camp, the Crusade's warriors were too occupied to fight us. A fall of snow began, but our progress was not slowed. Upon reaching the Undercity, one of the former captives turned to face me.

"You…are a hero…" He groaned. "That was I nightmare I felt would never end."

"Now you are safe, my friend," I reassured him. "Lady Sylvanas will protect you; she knows you have protected the secrets of the Forsaken."

He nodded, and entered the city along with the others.

When I entered the throne room to report, Sylvanas was again involved in a harsh conversation with Varimathras.

"The Seven just…left?" Sylvanas bellowed at the Dreadlord.

"My Lady," Varimathras responded, trying to calm his voice in hopes of lowering the tension, "I believe they might have been agents of the Scourge all along. I think they were plotting this, and soon they may attack us!"

"Not so close to our assault on Scarlet Monastery!" Sylvanas screeched. "I will not have my years of planning go to waste! We must defeat the Seven as quickly as we can, and then proceed with our war against the Crusade as planned. Do I make myself clear?"

The Dreadlord flashed a quick grin of his fangs before answering. "Yes, but, if we wish to continue with our assault as planned, we cannot risk a large group of soldiers. I suggest we send in a small squad to eliminate them. How many can we manage?"

"You are one of my generals and you do not know specifics?" Sylvanas groaned, putting her hand over her face. "As far as numbers are concerned, we can only spare a few to fight the Seven, perhaps two at most. And in this case…the two shall be…Darren, and you Varimathras!"

"That…weakling?" Varimathras growled, flashing his fangs. "He is not even worthy to stand beside me!"

"He is standing in this room," Sylvanas answered, curtly. She chuckled a little as I bowed before her. "Varimathras, you not only knew the Seven the best of anyone, but also you are the strongest of my troops; I would go myself, but I have other matters to attend to. Darren is a skilled warrior, and has proven himself time and again since he joined us. Should you survive this mission, Darren, you will be promoted to a Centurion! (Author's Note: this is the Horde equivalent of a Colonel)."

"You flatter me, my Dark Lady," I replied. "What is this mission you speak of?"

"Darren, you and Varimathras must kill…the Seven Deadly Warlords."

HES: The year of preparation has ended but a new threat has emerged. Who are these Seven Deadly Warlords? What is their motive? Will Darren and Varimathras stand a chance? Will they even get along? All that's to come in the next chapter of Forsaken Love! Also, I would like to thank my good friend OmegaTrooper for providing MANY insights, facts, and ideas for this particular chapter; I would suggest everyone who enjoys Warcraft stories read some of his as well! Now to answer some reviews:

OmegaTrooper: Glad to hear you like it! I'm also glad you appreciate the character development; I am trying to make Darren deeper than most other characters I have written, just to have some practice writing that way.

Promise of the Ghost Queen: I agree, Autumn is a great season! Yeah, the farmers have it rough, but such is life in times of war. Yes, the story will continue to get complicated, but I'm sure you will enjoy seeing what is about to happen.

HES: Well, that's all for now! Please read and review, I value your input!


	12. Chapter 11: Sloth

Chapter 11: Sloth

"Seven Deadly Warlords?" I repeated quizzically. "Who are they?"

"Only those from the early days of the Forsaken remember them," Sylvanas replied. "As you know, the Forsaken broke away from the Scourge; our revolution, however, was not without turmoil. Not wanting to accept his losses, the vile Lich King sent waves of Scourge after us, hoping to use force to regain the Forsaken. Then, as with now, I was leader of the Forsaken. I needed leaders to aid me, to use power and strategy to defeat the blasted Scourge troops which plagued us. It was then I appointed seven of the strongest warriors in our force to be my generals, known as the Seven Deadly Warlords." Sylvanas paused briefly and looked to the ceiling, as if reminiscing.

"Each one of them I named for one of the Seven Deadly Sins I had been taught never to commit while I lived; now that I was Undead, the opposite of one who is alive, I decided that committing sins would help rather than hinder my cause." Sylvanas emitted a sinister laugh. "The Seven Deadly Warlords had varied abilities; no two were similar save for that they served my cause. Their fighting abilities were instrumental in turning the Scourge back and securing freedom for the Forsaken."

"And now those bastards stabbed us in the back," Varimathras growled gruffly. "Their defection came from nowhere; they seemed like the most loyal of the Forsaken." As Varimathras said this, I thought back to Sylvanas's words to me not long ago 'Once a Demon, always a Demon' and found irony in Varimthras's speech about loyalty…

"They abandoned us less than a day ago," Varimathras continued. "I saw them rush from the Undercity, together, crying out that they now had their own mission and master to follow. I fear they may have rejoined the Scourge."

"Or perhaps they were with the Scourge from the start," Sylvanas replied coldly. "Those traitors must be taught a lesson. There is only one place they could have gone, the Fortress of Bane; I had this fortress especially commissioned for the Warlords to plot their attacks and garrison troops strategically in the north, not far from Scarlet Monastery. No doubt they have either slaughtered the guards there or tricked them into believing they still serve the Forsaken cause."

"I will do as you command, my Dark Lady," I said with a respectful bow.

"As will I," Varimathras rasped before hastily adding, "my Dark Lady."

Varimathras and I exited the Undercity and walked several miles north to the fortress without a word passing between us. Varimathras was a huge creature, almost twice my height, a demon, neither man nor beast. He sported broad bat-like wings composed of purple, leathery skin. His head was humanoid, except for the fact that two black, curved horns rose from his scalp. The Dreadlord also had hooves in place of feet, and cruel fangs in his mouth. Varimathras was clad in an azure suit of armor that covered his chest and legs as well as pitch-black shoulderpads. Massive claws stood atop his massive hands, and, finally, a piece of purple cloth with the image of a skull at the bottom dangled from between his legs.

"We're here," Varimathras finally said as we stood outside the Fortress of Bane. The fortress was unexpectedly small; it was only about twice as wide and tall as the Scarlet Crusade Towers I had attacked in the past. The walls were of a solid black stone, which I inferred to be Obsidian, a strange choice for a citadel. Massive spikes of the rock jutted at crooked angles from the tops of the walls with the corpses of unfortunate enemies skewered on them. Upon seeing my look of fear at the decimated bodies, Varimathras offered some scant words of comfort: "Don't worry, none of those were the guards meaning they are still very much alive. Besides, the Warlords only reserve such a quick and painless death for lower-ranking enemies. We can expect to be killed much more sadistically."

With such words of confidence in my ears, it was no wonder I became filled with fear as we approached the gate of the fortress. The portcullis, strangely enough, as open. "They're expecting us, obviously," Varimathras groaned. "After you."

The inside of the fortress was far less gruesome but just as uninviting as the exterior. There was but a single corridor which was lit only by a burning torch here or there. Our walk down the hallway was short as we came to the door for the first room.

"Before we enter, let me tell you a few things about the Fortress of Bane," Varimathras said. "As Sylvanas said, this fortress was built specifically for the Seven Deadly Warlords. As such, each Warlord has his or her own room which is fitted to his or her specialty."

"Meaning there are seven rooms," I answered. "Do you know anything of their powers?"

"Sadly, no," Varimathras answered. "The Seven were quite secretive about their powers, only doing combat where those not of their group could not see them. Though they fought against the Scourge in the first invasion, and even the more recent one, no one, not even Lady Sylvanas, has seen them in combat."

I cursed inwardly, fearful of an enemy that was not only powerful, but also with unknown skills. I took a deep breath and drew my sword as I entered the room. Before I could open the door, I felt Varimathras's powerful clawed hand on my chest.

"Lady Sylvanas told me to deliver this to you," Varimathras stated, handing me an object wrapped in oil-cloth. I unwrapped the cloth, and saw a sword that resembled my own, but glittered with a red hue. "It is enchanted; your enemies will fall faster when you wield it."

"Much thanks, Varimathras!" I beamed, now filled with more hope that we could triumph. "Let us go." Not uttering another word, we entered the room.

The room was larger than one would expect in such a small fortress. In the center of the room lay a single bloated Abomination, an Undead creature made from sewn together corpses, lounging lazily on the ground.

"Who….are…you?" The abomination rasped between yawns.

"You seem awfully lazy, you traitorous dog, so you must be…" Varimathras was cut off by the creature.

"Sl…sl…sl….Sloth." It managed to stutter before closing its eyes and beginning to snore.

"Lady Sylvanas recruited _him _to be one of her warlords?" I questioned. Surely, such a lazy beast would be a poor fighter.

"Yes, I myself am surprised, let's gut him and be done with it," Varimathras informed me. We approached the Abomination and I readied my sword to pierce his bloated heart. Suddenly, the monster swung one of the chains attached to its body at me. The force of the blow slammed me into a nearby wall. As I attempted to recover from the pain, I saw the chain racing at me again, this time noticing the barbed meat-hook on the end. I dodged the hook and swung my gleaming sword at the chain in hopes to sever it; as my blade connected with the chain, the chain itself emitted a similar glow but with a gray tint.

"His damn chains are enchanted, too!" Varimathras cursed as he swiped with his claws at the shackles that swung towards him. "We need to target his body somehow!"

Through all this, Sloth lazed on his back, nonchalantly swinging his set of manacles at us. I was able to block or dodge the chain some of the time, but at other moments I was smashed into the walls or floor. Varimathras, for all his power, also was fairing poorly. Though the strikes from the chains did not seem to phase him, he began to slow down and made no progress in getting close to Sloth's body.

This battle continued for at least half an hour, with Varimathras and I tiring while Sloth showed no signs of slowing down.

"For a lazy bastard, he has some skills," Varimathras panted; my breath was long gone and my throat was dry and rough so I could not answer. "I can't go all out yet; I need to save some energy for the fights to come."

I nodded and pointed to Sloth, a single that I was going to make a last desperate strike. I raced ahead, somehow finding speed within my tired frame. I narrowly avoided Sloth's chains and quickly was almost within striking distance of his stomach. _Only a few feet more,_ I thought. Luck was not on my side a chain I had not seen before swung and wrapped around me. Sloth gripped the chain with one hand to reel me in while he continued to assault Varimathras with the chain in his other hand. As he pulled me closer, choking the life from me, I smelled his rotted stench.

Then, something odd occurred; Sloth stopped moving. He lowered both his chains and let out a drawn-out gasp.

"Fighting…too…t…t….tiring…" Sloth muttered before dropping back to sleep. His snores echoed through the room as I rose and sheathed my sword. Varimathras walked towards Sloth, his claws raised to strike.

I stepped in the way. "What are you doing? This monster is a traitor who tried to slaughter us both! He must be put to death!"

I shook my head. "Sloth is too lazy; he never intended to kill us from the start. He only fought to protect himself from us. Also, judging from his mannerisms, he is neither the leader nor the brains behind the Seven Deadly Warlords. Sloth was probably just a pawn placed to slow us down and to test our abilities. Also, don't some Abominations release clouds of poison or disease when they die?"

Varimathras stroked his chin. "You have a point, our time and energy would be better spent on the next opponent. Do not get overconfident, however. Sloth was obviously the weakest of the Seven, thus the reason he was placed first." I nodded as Varimathras pointed to a door in the west wall of the room. "That's the only exit since we came in from the south door. Onto our next enemy!"

HES: Darren and Varimathras defeated the first of the Seven Deadly Warlords, but spared his life! Will this be a decision they regret? Or is it helpful? You'll just have to keep reading to find out! Thanks very much for all your support and reviews! Now, to answer those reviews you all posted:

OmegaTrooper: Thanks! I hope you liked what you got to see of Sloth! Don't worry, the coming fights are going to be much more intense!

Promise of the Ghost Queen: Thanks, I'm glad you liked the chapter and Roxanne! Perhaps she will return in the future…? Yeah, the Crusaders are jerks, I agree; and about Darren's revenge, you will just have to wait and see. I hope you like what you've seen of the Seven so far, and expect even more from them in the coming chapters!

Skinbourne: Thanks, I try to stay true to Blizzard's style of smaller missions! I'm glad you liked the Ziggurats; as for the Plaguelands...perhaps something will happen there in the future, but you'll have to wait and see. As for the idea on language, it's cool and creative; maybe I will use it in the future (I will give you credit, of course! Thanks!)

HES: Thanks again for all the support! Please review if you can; I value your input!


	13. Chapter 12: Envy

Chapter 12: Envy

Varimathras smashed down the western door, his ire seeming to emanate as an aura from his body.

"Show yourself, traitorous scoundrel!" The Dreadlord cried into the room. This room seemed standard: stone walls, stone floor. There was, however, a series of portraits along the walls of every type of creature and race imaginable, even some I had never even dreamed of. Standing before the painting of a handsome human in silver armor stood a figure clad in red and gold armor; the emblem of an eagle was embroidered in gold on his crimson cloak and he held a large shield with gold edges and a red interior in his left hand, while a double-bladed sword was held in his right hand.

"He looks strong, eh?" The figure said, still staring at the picture. "Wish I had half the strength he does, and a quarter the courage! That's Mograine, one of the higher-ups in the Scarlet Crusader. Not half as good as his father, the Ashbringer, but this one is still tough." He turned towards us and I saw the face of an Elf with short blond hair beneath his red-winged helmet. "This is a rare portrait; it's one of the few that has him in his old Silver Hand armor back before the Crusade was established." The Elf noted. "But enough about Mograine, I'm Envy, and who might you be? You both are rather brave for coming here; I wish I was an-eighth as brave as you two."

"Shut your mouth and die!" Varimathras challenged as he lunged at Envy, his claws swinging like scythes. Envy dodged expertly to the side and slashed at Varimathras's arms, his blade biting slightly into the flesh before the Dreadlord jumped away.

"Hm…back when I was a High Elf instead of Undead I could cleave through flesh and bone with no trouble," Envy sighed, wiping the blood off his sword with a cloth he was holding beneath the shield. "I wish I was the old me."

"Darren, stop standing around and cut his jealous face off!" Varimathras roared as he turned to strike again. I drew my enchanted blade and raced at Envy, hoping to hit him in the face as Varimathras had commanded. Envy smiled and raised his shield to block; just as my strike was deflected, the Dreadlord smashed into the Undead High Elf and wrestled him to the ground. Varimathras began to claw at our opponent, ripping off chunks of armor here and there, but each second he seemed to slow, and suddenly stopped, toppling onto his back as Envy rose.

"Aw, this was my favorite breastplate! I wish I was rich like King Wyrnn of Stormwind, he probably could buy ten thousand breastplates like this one!" Envy complained, looking over his breastplate which now had openings to his exposed flesh. "I wish I was as tough as a Tauren, then maybe I would not be so frightened of being stabbed in my exposed skin! Oh well…"

"What…did….you…do…to…me?" Varimathras rasped as he lay on the floor.

"I'm a Spell Stealer," Envy answered. "I wish I was as good at Spell Stealing as Kael'thas was, but I'm not half bad. I basically drain any magic you use to augment yourself and give it to me, so now I just got all that extra power you gave yourself."

"Damn…you…" Varimathras groaned as he crawled towards Envy. "Darren…kill…" And then he passed out.

"I will behead him in a second," Envy said, smiling. "I wish I could run as fast as Sylvanas back when she was alive, then I could behead him and do the same to you within two seconds. Alas, I am slower that a ball of slime." He then seemed to vanish and appeared behind me, his sword pressed to my throat.

"Then again, that was before I stole your friend's magic," Envy giggled. "Time to die…"

"You talk too much," I answered, elbowing him through one of the holes in the armor, causing him to double over in pain. I turned and charged, readying to plunge my sword into one of the openings, but he raised his shield and deflected the blow.

"Nice skills, and powerful magic blade," Envy said. "I wish my sword was magical like yours. At least my shield has wards on it to protect me from magic and strikes."

"Shut up and fight!" I yelled, filled with rage. He seemed to be taunting me, goading me into waiting while he regained strength.

Or maybe he was waiting for me to attack rashly. Envy blocked my strike with his shield again and brought his double-bladed sword around, cutting into my back with one end before flipping it around to do the same with the other side.

"I like to add a little art to my attacks," Envy continued. "I did not need to flip my sword around, but it looked much better, do you not agree?" He paused. "You probably could not see it that well, since I hit you in the back, but it was interesting, trust me. Sure, it did not look as impressive as something a trained Night Elf Demonhunter would do with a similar blade, but it was artistic nonetheless. I wish I could be that good with this sword."

Aggravating was the only word I could think of. Envy was spouting random facts and his own desires while I kneeled, clutching at the wound on my back. He did not even seem to be tiring, while I was injured and Varimathras was incapacitated. I had to think of something quickly, or we would both die.

I rose slowly and turned to look at Envy, and cautiously advanced. He was the one to strike this time, but I was able to block with my own shield which buckled under the weight of his strike; such a slender frame could not muster such power on its own, I realized, only to remember that he had stolen some of Varimathras's power. I braced as he pushed me farther back.

"If only I naturally had the strength of an Ogre, then your shield would have cracked and you would have split in two!" Envy chuckled as he pushed forward. Suddenly, he stopped with a jolt and fell face forward onto the ground. I took this opportunity and plunged my sword into the back of his neck.

"I wish…I could…regenerate…like…a…Troll…" were Envy's final words.

I looked to see Varimathras, slowly pushing himself up from the ground. "I saved you," He muttered. "I was the one who crawled behind him and dragged him to the ground."

"Ah, but I distracted him from finishing you off," I replied, "and I delivered the final blow, meaning it was a team effort."

"Bah, I do not have time for such small talk, let's press on," Varimathras grumbled, obviously not wanting to admit that I had done my share. "I slowly feel my power coming back, so we should be fine in our next fight." Varimathras pointed to a door to my right. "Through there, I would wager." He again smashed down the oaken door and we entered the room.

HES: The second Warlord, the talkative and jealous Envy, has now been beaten! What of the next five or even the next one? Can our heroes stand a chance? Time to answer those good old reviews!

OmegaTrooper: Glad you liked my chapter and anticipate the next warlord!

HES: Well, only one review this time, sadly. Oh well, hope you all read and review! I like to hear your thoughts on this chapter!


	14. Chapter 13: Greed

Chapter 13: Greed

"Three hundred forty-four, three hundred forty-five," a voice echoed as Varimathras and I entered the next room. The counting voice was a low bass, almost sounding like a stone's voice, as if the walls around us were speaking.

A mound of treasure was in the center of the room: gold, silver, crowns, necklaces, trinkets, gems beyond count! Atop this glittering hoard sat a lone figure, counting pieces of gold one by one before tossing them into a bronze lockbox to his right. The figure was short and stout, and though he was Forsaken, his skin looked much rougher and he had a long, graying beard with gems woven into the braids.

Varimathras put one claw over his lips to indicated silence as we approached the Warlord in hopes of an ambush. Then it happened; beneath my feet, the metal crunched upon itself and sent a hollow, metallic sound across the room, interrupting the Warlord's counting. The Warlord turned and eyed us; I saw his beard was far longer than I expected, nearly touching the treasure-trove beneath his feet.

"What're yew doin' 'ere?" He asked in a gruff voice.

"Your death is nigh, Dwarf!" Varimathras spat, flapping his massive bat-like wings and flapping towards the enemy.

"Yew will never take mah gold!" The Dwarf challenged, using his body as a shield for the treasure and taking the brunt of Varimathras's assault. Despite the force of the impact, the Warlord still stood firm, and rose, clutching a small gold statue of a king in his hand. I noticed that his skin had taken on a metallic sheen, though the color did not change. "Ah protect mah gold, an' she protects me!" He guffawed again.

"Ah, one who desires wealth above all else? You must be Greed," Varimathras growled coldly. "It appears that somehow riches protect you?"

"Aye, that they do," Greed answered. "Though ah'll not tell yew 'ow!"

"Darren, keep him away from the treasure at all costs. Somehow, it adds to his power." Varimathras noted. "I will deliver the death-blow when the time comes."

"Right," I replied, and advanced cautiously toward Greed who still stood on the mound of wealth. As I approached, Greed began to hurl treasures at me: I expertly blocked some coins with my shield, and then used my sword to cleave a chest in half. Greed's barrage did little to slow my progress, and soon I was upon him with not a scratch on me.

I stabbed at Greed's stomach, but he grabbed a fistful of coins from the floor and again his skin seemed to shimmer metallically. " Ya want mah gold? 'Ere, take this!" Greed growled, punching at my face. I blocked with my shield, but then he struck with his other hand, hitting me square in the jaw and knocking me onto my back. My jaw felt cracked, though it did not fall off as it had in the past. I looked up at Greed, who looked at me sadistically as threw the coins in my face before slamming his feet into my gut. He grabbed another heap of coins and began to punch me again and again, the gold still clutched between his fingers as he did so.

"You may be the greatest fool I have ever seen!" Varimathras laughed as he lunged at Greed, knocking him off me and into a wall. The coins came spilling out of the warlord's hand as Varimathras pushed him back. Chunks of stone came flying out of the wall and Varimathras slammed Greed into the rock again and again. The Dreadlord threw Greed into the wall, the picked him up and threw him into the floor, then the ceiling, repeating this assault for several minutes. I managed to rise and look over the pile of riches, searching for something that may have been the key to Greed's strange powers.

"Stay away from mah gold, yah damned Forsaken!" Greed roared, even as Varimathras continued his attacks.

"Why will you not die?" Varimathras growled, slashing at Greed with his claws, leaving only scratch marks in the warlord's metallic skin.

"Ah will nay be th' one t' die t'day!" Greed chuckled as he opened on of his hands, showing four gold coins atop his palm. The gold seemed to melt; as it did, Greed began to waver himself, and slipped from Varimathras's grasp. Greed then wheeled around and threw the four coins at Varimathras; the coins hit the Dreadlord square in the face, and I saw them melt slightly.

Varimathras cried out curses and words of hate as the molten metal seeped across his face and burned his skin. Among the horrible cries, I managed to understand one sentence: "Darren, keep him away from metal!"

I saw now that Greed's skin no longer shined with a metallic sheen, and so I rushed to block him from reaching the treasure pile. Greed sped up, realizing we had found his weakness. I managed to reach the pile first, and delivered three swift slashes at Greed. The Undead Dwarf fell back, clutching at his chest. I stood over him, ready to deliver the final blow when he began to chuckle; I looked to his hands to notice I had knocked him within reach of a silver necklace. I stabbed at his skull as quickly as I could, but his grab for the metal was far faster. My sword, despite its enchantments, bounced harmlessly off his shining skin.

Greed arose, and held the necklace out oddly in his hand; I noticed the object beginning to melt slightly in a similar fashion to the coins he had thrown as Varimathras. The metal began to seep down across his hands and he molded the metal, reforming it into a spike which he held in his right hand.

"Now yew will truly die!" Greed muttered, flashing a cruel smiled which revealed a mouth of gold teeth. "Ya see? Mah gold is always wit' me! Yer strikes earlier were strong and yer blade may be magic, but yah cannae kill me so long as ah am connected t' mah wealth!" He began to laugh as he lunged at me, plunging the spike into my left shoulder faster than I could raise my shield. Greed raised his hand for another stab, but I parried his attack and slammed my shield into his face. He stepped back, more from the force of the blow than pain, but recovered in seconds and was upon me again with redoubled force.

Greed force me to the ground, and rammed the spike into my right wrist, causing me to drop my enchanted blade. He left the spike there, pinning me to the ground, before creating another spike from a bronze scepter which he plunged through my left arm. My legs were still free, and I continued to kick at him in hopes of some sort of damage, but it was all in vain.

Greed raised a pile of coins above my head and slowly began to melt them. "Ah am gonna enjoy killin' yew, ya damned treasure thief!" He declared.

"So you like melting metal eh?" A booming voice that could only be Varimathras rang out across the room. "Then I suppose I should fight fire with fire!" I looked to see the Dreadlord in the air, conjuring a ball of fire in each hand. Varimathras threw the flame at a pile of treasure near Greed's feet, melting the wealth and causing it to move around Greed's legs.

"Yew think ya can hurt me with mah treasure?" Greed laughed as he slogged slowly through the molten metal, leaving the pool of it behind. "Now ah remember why ah left the Forsaken, yew are all idiots!"

"No, you are the fool for underestimating me!" Varimathras roared as he flew head on at Greed. The warlord was caught off guard, having believed the melted metal to be the Dreadlord's true attack. Varimathras delivered a series of blows to Greed's face, knocking out gold tooth after gold tooth. Greed cursed, as slowly his skin lost its sheen. Varimathras grabbed the Warlord and flew into the air as he had earlier, and slammed Greed into the wall. The Warlord began to scream and curse as his bones were broken one after the other.

During this interim, I managed to summon all my strength and move my arms up, forcing the spikes out of the floor. Though my wrists were damaged, I rushed to retrieve my sword. By this time, Greed lay on the ground, writhing in pain, blocks of stone all around his destroyed body.

"Please...let...me...touch...mah...gold...one...last...time..." Greed moaned.

"Darren, do the honors," Varimathras said, turning away. I nodded and plunged my sword into the warlord's skull, ending the life of another enemy of the Forsaken.

"Come, Darren, there are still four Warlords left to face, each one stronger than the last." Varimathras informed me.

"Should we perhaps search the treasure piles for items of use?" I suggested. Varimathras scratched his chin as he pondered.

"You have five minutes, then we are heading to the next room. But, if Greed placed traps, I am not responsible for what happens to you," the Dreadlord warned.

I searched through a pile of wealth as quickly as I could, hoping for some object to catch my eye. Mainly, I found coins, which were of no value to our coming struggle. At the bottom of one pile I discovered a finely crafted chest which promised something of value inside, but no matter what I tried I could not break open the lock.

Finally, as my search time neared an end, I noticed a heavy metal shield in the middle of a pile. My own buckler had been horribly damaged, especially in the fight with Envy, and looked like it could not take much more. I abandoned my current shield, and picked up the new one; it felt lighter, despite its larger size.

"A mithril shield eh?" Varimathras stated as we headed to the door. "You are lucky, that shield will be stronger and more useful than that piece of rubbish you got rid of."

I nodded as we approached the door; this door, as could be guessed from Greed's room, was of finely wrought metal and inlaid with gold and gems. I could only guess what enemy would be beyond that door, an enemy even more powerful than Greed had been.

I took a deep breath as Varimathras pushed open the door and we entered the next room.

HES: Three warlords down, four to go. Darren and Varimathras are fighting hard, and doing well so far, but can they stand up to the next warlord who is even stronger? Well, time to answer some reviews!

OmegaTrooper: I'm glad Envy made you laugh; he was actually a very fun character to write! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as you enjoyed the last one!

Promise of the Ghost Queen: Glad to have you back, I know what it feels like to be busy! I'm glad you liked the chapter, especially the way I wrote Envy's character.

Soren333: Thanks, it's good to hear you like the story! I decided to use the Seven Deadly Sins because they could fit as good archetypes for Undead villains.

Dejise the Wandering Huntress: Wow, you must really love my story, I'm very flattered! I hope you loved this chapter as much as the others!

HES: Thank you all for your reviews, I am really excited that I am getting so much positive feedback! Review this chapter if you can, I always love to hear from the readers!


	15. Chapter 14: Gluttony

Chapter 14: Gluttony

I gagged as I saw what was in this new room. All across the floor were dozens, perhaps hundreds, of corpses, in varying stages of decay. Some were skeletons, their bones picked clean of any flesh with teeth marks clearly across the bones. Others looked as if they had just been slaughtered, and had fresh bites on their skin.

"Despicable," Varimathras spat, "it's one thing to be cannibalistic...but this is abominable!"

I choked on my words, unable to speak as I saw the slaughter that lay around me.

"I guess we do not need to guess where the guards went," Varimathras continued, pointing to some corpses which clearly were dressed in the uniform of the Forsaken Army. "Judging by the bite marks on these bodies, I would say Gluttony in somewhere in this room."

It was eerily quiet as Varimathras and I waited for our enemy to show himself. I hefted my sword and new shield, fearful of where the enemy would appear from. Suddenly, a body burst from the pile of corpses and let out an odd growl as it slammed into me. I braced with my shield, but the creature assaulted with such force that I was knocked back. I drove my sword into the monster's shoulder, causing it to howl in agony before it slashed me across the face with its long claws. This blow knocked me to the ground; thinking me defeated, the creature turned towards Varimathras.

I could now see exactly what Gluttony was: a Ghoul, similar to the ones I had faced during the Scourge Invasion. His body looked like that of a Forsaken, but he was more hunched over. His skin was a pale yellow, as were its long, pointed teeth. On each arm, Gluttony possessed hideous claws that had earlier left the horrid gashes I could feel faintly on my face.

Gluttony, his left shoulder still damaged from my attack, had now turned its attention to Varimathras. The Ghoul swung his claws at the Dreadlord, who took to the air and began to laugh maliciously at his flightless enemy.

"What is wrong, Gluttony? For all your power you cannot defeat an aerial opponent?" Varimathras said sardonically. "Would you like to see why _I _am Sylvanas's right hand man?" The Dreadlord began to chant and a ball of fire surrounded his hands. Varimathras hurled the flames in a stream at Gluttony, who narrowly dodged by jumping back into the pile of bodies. From beneath, I could hear incessant chewing as Gluttony began to consume the former Forsaken soldiers. Neither Varimathras nor I could tell where he was hiding, and we knew he could spring out at any moment and deal us a powerful blow.

"It will not work this time," Varimathras declared, this time uttering a different chant. The flies surrounding the corpses began to fly into Varimathras's hands; some started to grow in size, as other strange insects seemed to materialize and join the swarm. The Dreadlord pointed at the pile of corpses, causing the insects the rush at the bodies and begin consuming them rapidly. "You can hide behind flesh, but not bone."

I rose to my feet as I saw body after body reduced to skeletons by Varimathras's pets. After what seemed like an eternity, both the chewing sound and the buzzing of the insects stopped. I noticed beneath several skeletons lay Gluttony, munching away on a bone in hopes of securing some final nourishment.

"It is no use anymore, Gluttony, your time has come." Varimathras stated coldly. "We can see you, as can my insects, and they are hungry for meat, your meat!" With that, the insects flew at Gluttony, who did not move as they headed towards him. For some reason, they refused to touch Gluttony's body.

"Varimathras, he lives near corpses, he probably has just as much an affinity for the insects as you do!" I called out. As if acknowledging my theory, the swarm flew away from Gluttony and headed towards me. I swung my sword in wide arcs, managing to cut down an insect here or there, but for the most part they began to nibble at my skin. Gluttony seized the initiative and charged at me through the swarm, the insects dispersing to allow him to have a clear target. I noticed, as he charged, that his wounds from earlier had healed. "I think consuming corpses allows him to heal and gain power!" I cried out, also noting that his speed had increased. I barely blocked his furious claw swipes with my shield, and even took several blows to the head, shoulders, and arms. I swung with my enchanted blade but every attack was either dodged or blocked by Gluttony's claws.

"Darren, try to hold him off for a bit longer," Varimathras said, flying towards me and delivering a kick which sent Gluttony back into the corpse pile. "Most of the meat was consumed by the insects when they were still under my command. I assume that if we can fight him for long enough, he will run out of energy and we can deliver the death blow."

"A battle of stamina, eh?" I asked. Varimathras nodded. "No problem."

Gluttony recovered from the attack and grabbed a bone, gnawing off what little skin it contained. He growled, and lunged at me, slightly slower having eaten much less than last time. As he collided with me, I saw his gaping mouth gnashing vigorously at my skin. I slammed the flat of my blade into the side of his head, causing him to reel briefly before he bit at my left arm. I raised my shield and he howled in agony as some of his teeth chipped upon biting the mithril. Despite this failed attack, I noticed marks on my shield, attesting to the strength of Gluttony's bites.

Varimathras added his own weight to the fight, swinging his own claws at Gluttony. The Warlord was far faster than the Dreadlord, and avoided most blows but delivered slashes of his own. Varimathras stumbled as one attack hit him, drawing black blood from his Daemonic form. Gluttony saw his chance and bit into Varimathras's arm, through the armor, and ripped out a chunk of his skin. The Ghoul chewed rapidly and while slashing Varimathras repeatedly, forcing the Dreadlord into submission.

As Varimathras lay on the ground, I wondered whether my ally was dead or alive. I knew that whatever the case may be, the task at hand was defeating Gluttony. The Warlord seized the moment, however, and lunged at me faster than I had ever seen any creature move. In less than a second, he bit into my leg, ripping off some flesh and chewing it, causing him to move even faster.

I realized then that this battle was futile. Gluttony was growing ever stronger, especially after consuming a Demon's skin. Each strike now felt a thousand times stronger than before, and I watched in horror as the beast moved rapidly. There was nothing I could do. I closed my eyes, awaiting the end.

Then, the pain stopped. I slowly opened one eye and saw Gluttony on the ground, his body charred almost beyond recognition. I then turned to Varimathras, who lay panting.

"Never turn your back unless you know an enemy is dead," Varimathras said, his tone one of superiority. "Gluttony should have made sure I was dead before attacking you. He did not realize that I made it appear his attacks did more to me than they did, and I used that time to conjure an attack to incinerate his wretched form." Varimathras struggled as he rose to his feet. "Though the scoundrel did manage to do me some harm, I should be fine for the most part."

"I...think I can...make it..." I stammered, half from agony and half from the surprise defeat of Gluttony. Though some flesh had been torn from my leg, I could still walk with little pain. My shield was damaged, though still in fine condition. The slashes, however, were still causing me a great deal of pain.

"No matter what you suffered, it will not matter," Varimathras noted, picking up a vial of red liquid from the floor. He tossed the vial to me, which I caught and ingested without asking what it was. As the liquid flowed through my body, I felt revitalized and noticed the slash-marks fade slightly. "That potion must have been in the pockets of one of the guards. It looks like they did help us after all."

"Yes," I said, solemnly. "If we defeat these Warlords, let us tell Sylvanas of the troops and hold a proper funeral for them."

Varimathras seemed to ignore my statement as he marched toward the door to the next room. This door was made from bones, obviously the remnants of one of Gluttony's many meals. Before opening the door, Varimathras turned towards me. "_When_ we defeat the Warlords, we will hold that funeral."

And with that, he opened the door.

HES: Darren and Varimathras barely won, but with a bit of luck and teamwork, they are ready to face the next Warlord! Now to answer the reviews...

Soren333: Glad you liked the chapter! I plan to try and update as much as I can in the next few weeks since after that I will be away for awhile!

Fluttercanon: Don't worry, "dream girl" as you call her still has her part to play...About Pride, he or she might be a Night Elf, you will just have to wait and see!

Dejise the Wandering Huntress: I'm happy that you liked Greed's line! As promised, I updated this week!

Promise of the Ghost Queen: I'm glad my last chapter had you in suspense! Don't worry, Darren is fine...for now. I'm also happy that you liked the characters of Envy and Greed!

OmegaTrooper: Just like Dejise, it's cool that you liked Greed's death line!

HES: Well everyone, thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate all the input you have given me; please keep reviewing if you can! Sadly, I am going away for about a week and a half starting this Saturday, so no updates for a little while; when I get back, I promise an update ASAP because after that I am going away again! Don't worry, the second half of the summer should be full of updates! Thanks again so much for reading and reviewing!


	16. Chapter 15: Pride

Chapter 15: Pride

As I entered the next room, I saw it was decorated in a similar manner to Envy's room with countless frames hanging on every wall. Instead of portraits, however, these frames housed massive mirrors. The faces of the mirrors gleamed as they caught the sun's rays from a skylight carved into the ceiling of the room. Standing before a group of several mirrors was a tall Forsaken with skin that had a slight tint of purple. She wore an elegant black gown which stopped just above her knees; this and other factors seemed an effort to accentuate her figure. She had long, flowing blue hair that she seemed to admire as she stroked it with a bone comb. Varimathras and I stood for several minutes, waiting as this Warlord continued to comb and style her hair. After what seemed like hours of waiting, the silence finally broke.

"Are you going to face us, Warlord?" Varimathras growled. "Your love of your own personal appearance marks you as Pride."

"Yes," Pride replied, placing the comb into a pocket of her gown. "I am Pride. Sorry to keep you waiting, but as the most beautiful creature in all of Azeroth I must maintain my physical features."

"You will be all the more beautiful as a trophy on Lady Sylvanas's wall," Varimathras roared as he rushed at Pride. She easily dodged his attack and watched as he crashed into a mirror; shards of broken glass rained down upon Varimathras, leaving slight gashes in his skin. Varimathras rose to attack again, and I rushed forward to help my comrade.

Despite our valiant efforts, Pride easily avoided. every attack we made; she did not even seem to tire as she effortlessly dodged every blow. Every so often, Pride would let us come closer as if to mock us, before jumping, rolling, or sidestepping out of the way. More than once, she drew us close to the mirrors, causing our attacks to smash these looking-glasses resulting in a hail of sharp shards. I was able to block most of these jagged fragments with my shield, though the sheer number of broken pieces meant that every time a mirror was smashed, I felt several of the glass pieces slice into my skin.

Varimathras fared little better than I, and he appeared to get more and more enraged each time Pride escaped his slashing claws. As his rage built, Varimathras began to hurl small balls of fire, which Pride dodged with ease. Varimathras then conjured a wave of flame which spread out and moved towards a seemingly cornered Pride. She laughed, and bounded over the fire, landing on the back of the Dreadlord's head. She then chuckled again before kicking Varimathras in the back of his head and drawing a dagger which she drove between the joint in his armor where the epaulets met the breastplate. Varimathras cried out in anguish as he dropped to the ground.

"You...how can you dodge every attack? This is impossible!" Varimathras coughed as he struggled to rise. Pride dealt him another blow, this time forming both fists together into a ball and bringing them down on the back of his neck.

"I am the best fighter who ever lived," Pride said, smoothing her gown as she spoke. "No one can ever kill me. Why, the only reason I even became Undead in the first place is because I let the disease take me, knowing that as a mortal I might eventually die of another consequence, such as a disease or natural disaster."

"But, you are an Elf, are you not?" I noted as I edged towards her, shield and sword at the ready.

"Yes, I was a Night Elf," Pride answered me, "but even we Night Elves do not truly live forever; our lives are tied to Ancient Magic, and without it we can die of old age. Elves are also not free from death in combat, nor diseases. I realized this, and so traveled East to Lordaeron to let myself be afflicted by the Plague. Once Undead, I knew my beautiful body would exist forever, and I could be the strongest, most attractive warrior until the end of Time! Now I am but the Leader of the Seven Deadly Warlords, but soon I will rule all of Azeroth, for I am the greatest creature to ever live!"

During her rant, I had slowly been edging closer to Pride; now I was but a step away. As she finished the word "live" I lunged with my sword, hoping to drive its point through her overconfident heart. As my blade moved forward, Pride took four steps back, and one to the side. Seconds later, my point had slammed into a mirror, and I did not have time to raised my shield.

Hundreds, maybe thousands of shards cascaded down in a waterfall of shimmering light. Time seemed to slow as I saw each individual piece pierce my flesh. I grunted and fell to the ground.

"Alas," Pride sighed, "this was too easy. Then again, I should expect something like that from my enemies. No one can even match half of my skill, or a quarter of my beauty, or a tenth of my intelligence!"

"How...can...you...do...these...things?" I moaned as I struggled to push myself to my feet.

"Since you are going to die soon I might as well tell you," Pride said, turning towards me. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Varimathras crawling towards Pride. He put a claw to his lips to indicate I was to be silent while he attempted his sneak attack.

"I am very gifted," Pride continued, "not only with inborn skill and beauty, but also with another power. I have the gift of foresight, meaning I know what every enemy will do before even they know. For example, your Dreadlord friend is currently inching up behind me; he plans to throw that ball of fire he is conjuring." Pride did not turn around as she said this. "He will throw it...now." As she said this, she jumped into the air and the ball of fire slammed into a mirror. Varimathras and I were stunned, as with a flourish Pride landed on Varimathras's back and kicked him repeatedly in the head, before drawing another knife which she buried in his other shoulder blade. "That's poison on the tip," Pride giggled. "The first one was just to hurt you a bit, but this dagger is coated with a substance that will slowly kill you. It takes about five minutes for the effects to kick in, but no matter what you do, you will die." I saw Varimathras writhing in pain as Pride came closer to me. "And now for you," she said. "It would be dull to kill you the same way as your accomplice, so I will do so differently. That is a fine blade you have, I think I will use it." She knelt down and plucked the sword from my hand; I tried to resist, but the shards of glass had damaged me enough to make my movements sluggish.

Pride turned the sword over in her hands, admiring its craftsmanship. "Sylvanas never used to give out weapons of this quality," Pride chuckled admiringly, "especially to such weak wretches. Even her Generals, like me, were never gifted with weapons like this one! It seems all the more fitting that I, Sylvanas's former Warlord, kill her new brat with his treasured toy." She laughed again.

"Let...me...ask...one...thing..." I groaned as Pride raised the blade to ready it for a strike.

"Fine, it will do nothing but delay your death a few seconds." Pride replied.

"Why...did...you...abandon...the...Forsaken?"

Pride began to laugh uproariously and even had to cover her mouth with one hand to stifle her laughter. "I joined the Forsaken because I believed I could take power and already have a formidable army in my quest for domination of Azeroth. I had a plan to murder Sylvanas and frame your friend Varimathras there for it. As a result, he would have been killed and then I would have been next in line to take power. There was, however, a problem with this plan. Sylvanas is a very paranoid leader, so she is wary of trusting anyone who might betray her. Using my exceptional deduction skills, I realized that I would need at least ten years to fully gain her trust. But then I had a vision."

"A...vision?" I repeated for confirmation.

"Yes. You see, my power of foresight usually only allows me to see minutes or hours ahead, but occasionally gives me flashes of days or even years in the future. What I saw that day showed me that even if I took control of the Forsaken, the entire Horde itself was doomed. I needed the Forsaken so that then I could control the Horde; with the Horde I could defeat the Alliance; with the Alliance out of the way, I would be able to crush the Scourge; finally, with the Scourge gone, I would be free to rule as the undisputed Queen of Azeroth!"

"But...why...was...the...Horde...doomed?" I grunted.

"The Sin'Dorei, the Blood Elves," Pride answered. "My subordinate Envy was one, though luckily he was fully loyal to the Seven Deadly Warlords rather than his accursed people. The Blood Elves were once High Elves, a proud race that controlled a vast kingdom called Quel'thalas. The Scourge, however, ravaged Quel'thalas and killed most of the High Elves. Of the few that remained, most became Blood Elves, a race addicted to hideous Arcane and Daemonic Magic. The Blood Elves care nothing for their allies, and only wish to sate their lust for magic and eventually crush the races who oppose them. The Blood Elves, however, will not join the Horde for several years time, but once this occurs, there is no hope for the Forsaken or any part of the Horde; the Blood Elves will infiltrate the Horde and destroy it from within."

"I...doubt...it," I said and managed to push myself to my feet.

"My visions are never wrong." Pride answered coldly. "Now, you will die!" She swung the sword and I raised my shield, catching the blade. At first I was pleased, until I saw Pride's other hand racing towards my face. The fist slammed into the side of my head, dazing me. Just as I saw Pride's sword rushing at me, I heard Varimathras chanting in the Daemonic tongue. "What does it matter, Dreadlord? I can dodge you spell!"

"You cannot dodge if it covers the entire room!" Varimathras roared, unleashing a gout of flame that engulfed the room from ceiling to floor. I dropped to the floor and raised my shield, hoping that the Mithril would defend me from this mighty fire. Pride tried to dodge, but there was nowhere to run, and in seconds she was little more than a pile of ash.

Varimathras and I were both singed, though my shield and his armor had protected us from most of the power. "If she is truly the Leader of the Warlords, which I doubt," Varimathras said, "the rest should be pathetic. I cannot believe I had to use that spell on her; I was trying to save most of my energy for the last Warlord."

"Either way, if we did not defeat her then we would not have had any hope of facing the final Warlord," I said.

"True," Varimathras replied. "Now let us press onward. We both are burned and cut up, but we should be fine."

"What of the poison?" I asked, realizing more than five minutes had passed.

"As smart as she claimed she was, she did not know one key fact," Varimathras answered. "We Dreadlords are immune to most types of poison that can kill other races. Hers did slow me down and cause me annoyance, but not even a vat of it would end my life. Now come, we have two more Warlords to kill." Varimathras pushed open the next door which was black and charred from the flames, though still holding together as it was made of some form of metal. I retrieved my sword from the ground and followed Varimathras to face our next foe.

HES: Five down, two to go, though now Darren and Varimathras are much worse for wear. For all those who guessed Pride was going to be a Night Elf, you were right! Now to answer those reviews!

Promise of the Ghost Queen: Well, I guess Gluttony served his purpose since you found him disgusting; he was meant to be! Yes, Varimathras can be somewhat cocky...you will just have to wait and see if it causes him any more harm! I'm glad you liked the chapter!

Fluttercanon: Yes, a Male Gnome for Lust would be hilarious, but I will tell you now that isn't what Lust is! I'm glad you liked Gluttony and the chapter!

Soren333: Thanks for the positive feedback! Yeah, Gluttony was rather "nasty" as you put it.

Dejise the Wandering Huntress: I'm happy that you enjoyed the chapter! I tried to update ASAP since now I am back from a vacation right before going away again!

Anime-Fan-Girlz: I'm glad you like the story! As for Lust being a Succubus...you will have to just wait and see if your guess is correct!

OmegaTrooper: It's good to hear you enjoyed the chapter!

HES: Well everyone, thanks for the exceptional reviews! Review this chapter if you can! I am sorry to report that I will be away until mid-July, so don't expect an update for awhile. Once I return, I promise to try and update ASAP; I hope you can all wait until then! Thanks again for all the reviews!


	17. Chapter 16: Lust

Chapter 16: Lust

There she was, the woman from my dreams, standing right before me. This time, I was sure it was not an illusion or a passing fantasy, this was her! The hair, the eyes, the face...it was unmistakable! She wore a beautiful dress of purple silk which accentuated her features.

The room itself was oddly adorned to say the least: there was a large double bed with red silk sheets and satin pillows; the walls were adorned with candlesticks and, strange as it sounds, a whip here and there. These things did not draw my attention, for I was too focused on the beauty before me.

"Who are you?" I asked, walking towards her elegant form. "Why do I keep having visions of you?" She giggled before replying.

"Come here, you handsome devil," she crooned, winking at me. "I have much to tell you...and to show you..."

"Darren! What are you doing!" I heard a muffled voice yell. Was it Varimathras? I could not tell; all I could focus on was the beauty that I slowly edged towards.

I was so close, I almost had her in my arms! I love her, oh yes I do! Not even knowing who she is, I know I want to be with her, to spend the rest of my life with her! I extended my arms...

...and seconds later I was flat on the floor.

"Oh, I am sorry," she said, moving to help me up. I now saw she held a whip in her left hand, and that there was a searing pain across my face. "I did not mean for you to feel pain...I meant for you to die!" She swung the whip again, the lash slamming across my face a second time. It did not matter that it hurt, I love this woman, I want to be with her! I cannot resist what she does to me!

"Darren you worthless son of a bitch!" The voice from earlier grumbled, and I saw a massive figure rush at the woman. He knocked her to the floor, and began to stab her in the shoulders with his mighty claws. She screamed out.

"My love, save me!" She cried to me, tears running down her cheeks as she swung her whip at the beast who assaulted her.

I rose up, "No one injures her! No one!" I rammed my sword into the beast's back, and watched as he writhed in agony. He turned to me and punched me straight in the face.

Then everything went black...

_I saw the woman again, but not as she had just appeared to me in person. This woman was far gentler, far kinder. She carried no whip, she wore no dress, only a simple apron and homespun skirt. I saw her walking with the man, their hands clasped together as they strode down a country lane past fields of corn and barley. If that is the woman...then who had been the one I sought to defend?_

Then I awoke, to see Varimathras wrestling with some sort of strange demon. The creature he faced resembled a human woman, but her features were nearly flawless. She wore a tight-fitting bodice of black and green metal. Her hair was pitch black, and horns erupted from beneath her scalp. Her feet were hideous hooves, and a spiked tail emerged from her back, as did a small pair of leathery bat-like wings. In her hands, she held a whip which she now and then struck Varimathras with. He would pause briefly, but then strike at her, though she seemed to ignore or dodge most blows.

"Lust...you foul bitch!" Varimathras groaned as he struck again. "Your wiles may have worked on my weak-willed comrade, but I am made of sterner stuff!" He struck again, his claws slashing across her face, leaving deep gashes.

"My love, save me!" She called out to me, dodging another blow before wrapping her whip around Varimathras's leg and tripping him.

"I do not know who you are, nor how you portrayed that woman, but I will defeat you!" I said, rushing at her with sword flashing. Before I could strike a blow, I was lost in her deep pools of eyes. So green...so lustrous...so...

Her whip caught me across the face again, and I growled in anger as I saw one of my few teeth knocked out.

"Darren, Lust is a Succubus!" Varimathras roared as he shot a ball of fire at her; she dodged most of the blast but her left arm was still burnt, caused her to drop the whip which also caught fire from a stray ember. "She is a demon who uses her beauty and sensuality to seduce her enemies before killing them! I do not know what she made you see at first, but she can take on the mental form of anyone you find attractive! If we do not kill her quickly, she will turn you against me again, and then I will have no choice...but to kill you."

As Varimathras spoke, he continued to fling flames at Lust, though she avoided most of them. I raised my shield so as not to look upon her, while slowly edging towards where she stood. I peeked around my shield to see that she was removing another whip from the wall and moving towards us.

"You cannot strike us both with one whip," I noted, charging at her.

"No, I can, handsome!" Lust cackled, swinging her weapon at us. I saw the end of it heading towards me, and raised my shield to easily block the blow.

"Is that all?" I chuckled, charging towards her.

"Not quite," Lust said. Then I saw four whip tips heading towards my face too quickly for me to guard. The pain was excruciating as they all struck me. I heard Varimathras's cries, realizing the same thing had happened to him.

"This is a Cat-of-Nine-Tails," Lust stated, pulling back on the whip handle to all nine ends returned. "It makes fighting multiple opponents a breeze." She turned to Varimathras, "And by the way, this whip is enchanted to make it immune to most forms of magic, including fire."

"Damn, you are not weak," Varimathras said coldly. "It is a pity to have to kill a fellow demon, especially one with your talent, but I will do what must be done."

Lust began to giggle. "Foolish Dreadlord, why not put aside our differences and become lovers?"

Varimathras burst out into deep, booming laughter that shook the chamber, causing several of the stones to tumble from their places in the walls and fall with loud cracks onto the cold floor. "Lovers? What a jest! Dreadlords care nothing for love, compassion, friendship...we exist to carry out the Will of Sargeras, or, in my case, Lady Sylvanas! I happily decline your offer."

Lust turned and looked at me. "And how about you, handsome?" She winked at me and cracked the whip against her thigh. "Care to take my offer?"

I struggled against myself. Part of me wanted to take this opportunity, and I felt impossibly drawn to Lust's beauty. I knew, however, that she was my enemy and I needed to kill her. I raised my sword and pointed it at her. "I decli..." before I could finish the word something overcame me. "Accept."

I do not know what came over me, but I charged Varimathras, jabbing my sword at his chest. He stepped back, just out of range, and grabbed my weapon between his claws, ripping it from my hands before tossing it to the floor.

"Darren, what in the name of Archimonde are you doing?" Varimathras demanded as I swung my shield at the side of his head, catching him straight in the face. He grumbled as he shook off the blow; his recovery was short lived, however, as all nine of the tails of Lust's whip caught him square in the face. He roared as dark blood oozed from the gashes on his face.

"You bitch!" Varimathras growled, pushing me aside and charging at Lust.

"My love!" Lust cried out as the Dreadlord approached.

"I am coming!" I yelled, throwing my shield like a discus, watching as it slammed the Dreadlord in the back of his neck. He ignored the attack and continued forward, a strange orange aura blazing around his body. Lust whipped him against, but he ignored the blow and slashed at her twice with his claws.

Lust screamed as blood erupted from her skin, but Varimathras laughed maliciously as his own wounds seemed to disappear. "H...how?" Lust stammered, swinging her whip only to have it caught by Varimathras's hands.

"My Vampiric Aura," Varimathras stated. "I did not wish to use it now...but I had no alternative. Each time I strike you, I drain some of your life force and transfer it to me, allowing my wounds to heal."

"Save me!" Lust cried to me as Varimathras began chanting the arcane words which by now I realized signaled the flames he conjured.

I rushed forward, grabbing my sword and shield from the floor and lunging towards Varimathras. "You shall not hurt her any more!" I cried out.

"Darren...you disgust me. You do not even have strong enough will to break the hold of a Succubus!" Varimathras roared before kicking at me. I raised my shield to block, but the impact sent me flying backwards into one of the walls. "Lust, it is over for you."

"P...please, Varimathras!" Lust stuttered. "I love you! You are the most powerful Demon in all of Azeroth! Let me be your bride and we can rule this world!" As Lust spoke, she slowly raised her cat-of-nine-tails and struck at Varimathras. He raised his arm and caught the strike, coiling the whip around his left arm while continuing to ready the ball of fire in his right.

"I told you, I do not desire love," Varimathras uttered coldly. "Now die!" The ball of fire flew from Varimathras's right hand towards Lust. She tried to flee, dropping the whip handle and running; with a flip of his left wrist, Varimathras swung the whip back towards Lust and coiled it around her leg. "Just returning your weapon," he said ominously. Lust screamed as the fire engulfed her, and in seconds she was no more than a pile of ash.

Varimathras uncoiled the whip from his arm and dropped it onto Lust's remains. He walked over to me and pulled me to my feet. I opened my mouth to thank and congratulate him, but the words just did not come. He was right; I am too weak-willed. I should have been able to see through Lust's guise and trickery from the start.

Varimathras indicated the door before us; it had the shape of a heart on it and Lust's name written in elegant script. Varimathras scraped his claws across the door, effacing her name forever. "The final Warlord is behind this door," the Dreadlord said. "Are you ready?"

"Y...yes," I stammered. Before opening the door, Varimathras paused.

"I am surprised you did not try to stop me again after I knocked you into the wall," Varimathras stated. "Why was that?"

"I think your strike woke me up to reality," I replied. "Thank you."

"Hm...I guess my plan worked then," Varimathras muttered. "Let us press onward." I nodded as Varimathras opened the final door, only for us both to gasp at what lay inside...

HES: One Warlord left! Can Darren and Varimathras beat him? You will all just have to wait for the next chapter to see! Thank you all for the reviews and being so patient while I was out of town! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter; it was awkward to write at some parts, but I hope that didn't detract from the story. Time to answer the reviews:

Fluttercanon: I am glad you found Pride funny, she was an enjoyable character to write! No, Lust was not a Murloc as you could see in this chapter!

Dejise the Wandering Huntress: I'm glad you liked the chapter! Yeah...about the plague thing I took a bit of artistic license as I wasn't sure if it worked on Night Elves or not. I hope the paragraphing in this chapter didn't hurt your eyes. And, by the way, I love the Simpsons quote!

Aleks55: I'm glad you like my story! Varimathras does get knocked down a lot...but there is explanation for that coming (there was a bit in this chapter...did you catch it?).

Popcorncomics: Thanks for all of the constructive criticism! I am happy that there are parts of my story you like, but I am also glad you suggested ways to improve! I hope my explanations answered some of your questions.

Promise of the Ghost Queen: Yeah, Darren and Varimathras live to fight another day! But...will they be so lucky next chapter?

HES: Thanks again to everyone who read and reviewed! I am very grateful for all the compliments, questions, and constructive criticism you all have given me! Keep the reviews coming, I enjoy hearing your thoughts!


	18. Chapter 17: Wrath

Chapter 17: Wrath

Again, I could not believe my eyes; standing before us in a room littered with corpses was the mirror-image of Varimathras. He looked grim, and perhaps more hate-filled than my Dreadlord companion. The room was well lit by a score of torches lining the walls, but shadows still obscured parts of this other Dreadlord's body when the flames flickered. He turned towards us, casting down the slain corpse or something that appeared neither human nor beast.

When the light caught our adversary's face better I could see he was not identical to Varimathras in every respect; his horns were more curved, and his face bore a large, jagged scar running from his forehead, across his right eye, and down his cheek to his chin.

"Well, what do we have here?" The Dreadlord asked in a deep and sinister tone. "Varimathras...it has been nearly a century...what brings you here?"

"Enough formalities, Wrath," Varimathras cut in. "You know that we have come to kill you. The corpses of your former allies lay strewn about this fortress, some are little more than piles of ash. You had best surrender before I reduce you to dust."

"Such insults...such overconfidence...make me...ANGRY!" Wrath roared, charging across the room with frightening speed for his size. I realized there was no way to run and shut my eyes, raised my shield, and braced for impact.

The blow never came.

I opened my eyes to see Varimathras and Wrath, their claws locked together, their hoofed feet crunching into the stone floor. Varimathras grunted, as if he was only enduring, while Wrath's face had a wicked grin that betrayed a sense of joy. They struggled for several seconds, until Wrath forced Varimathras back, slamming him into a wall. Maniacal laughter erupted from Wrath who continued to push his advantage. Was Varimathras really this much weaker than another Dreadlord?

My thoughts were my weakness; as I stood pondering the combat and how I should react, a blow hit me squarely in the face. I was thrown across the room, landing in a pile of skulls. My shield flew off my arm, and my sword dropped from my weakened hands. I struggled to rise, not wanting to become part of Wrath's corpse collection, but it was of no use.

Wrath laughed again, and I could see him standing over Varimathras who lay, panting, against a wall, bits of the stonework still crumbling from the impact.

"Your friend was easily dispatched, you did not even see me move to strike him, did you?" Wrath said callously. "And you, Varimathras, are a disgrace to the Nathrezim. Serving a pampered wench like Sylvanas! Struggling to fight against simple Ghouls and Night Elves! You disgust me." Upon finishing that colder sentence, Wrath spat into Varimathras's face. "You do not even deserve the title of Dreadlord! Thus, I will exploit your weakness and kill you here!"

It was now Varimathras who let out a long, deep guffaw. "Do not forget, whelp, that you served Sylvanas as well not long ago. And also do not forget that it was Night Elves who pushed back the mighty Archimonde at the Battle of Mount Hyjal. You insult my weakness of body, but, being the fool you are, have a weakness yourself; a mental weakness!"

"I served Sylvanas only to further my own plan! I have been an agent of the Burning Legion since the beginning!" Wrath replied angrily.

"So is this your grand scheme? My, the Legion is getting far less creative," Varimathras answered. "Attacking the Forsaken who pose no current threat to the Legion, when in reality you should be more worried about the Orcs, Night Elves, and Humans who seek to purge Azeroth of Demons!"

"Ah, but you underestimate us as well," Wrath said, his voice betraying a slight dose of fear. "We are targeting the Forsaken in order to break them...so that we can reclaim the Scourge!"

"The Scourge? Are you mad?" Varimathras laughed. "The stories I have heard tell me that the Lich King has merged with some corrupted Prince and that he is now powerful enough to rival Kil'Jaden himself!"

"Lies! Lies! All lies!" Wrath screamed. "I will dispatch you, but not before ripping out your corrupted tongue!" Wrath lunged at Varimathras...and hit bare wall. Suddenly, Wrath was slammed even harder into the rock face, and flames erupted along his wings. He flapped the appendages quickly, which put the fire out. As soon as the flames subsided, Wrath was again slammed, this time from above, into the floor. All of this happened in less than a minute, and I could not see exactly how it had happened.

To answer my wondering, Varimathras appeared, hovering over Wrath. "As I said earlier, you have mental weakness," Varimathras said. "You think I was really _that_ weak? All a ruse! I have been conserving my energy and fighting at a lower level on purpose to lull you and your followers into a false sense of power. I can match you, Wrath, and I even surpass you." As he finished that sentence, Wrath tried to stand but Varimathras landed forcefully on his back, causing Wrath to scream as he was pushed further into the floor. "Let me finish speaking before we continue; you obviously need to rest up. You are doomed, Wrath; I realize as this fight continues your anger will build, giving you more power, but it will not matter because you are going to die sooner or later."

At that, Wrath rocked his body sideways and threw Varimathras off. Wrath flew upwards and kicked Varimathras in the jaw, forcing him back slightly. I could see Wrath's eyes had turned a deep shade of crimson, and it seemed that a powerful, malicious aura of rage was burning around his body.

"I WILL NEVER DIE!" Wrath roared as his hands caught fire and he began to punch and slash at Varimathras with his powerful hands and vorpal claws. Some blows struck, burning through pieces of Varimathras's armor and torching the skin, while other attacks were blocked and countered by similar blows from Varimathras.

This battle continued for an interminable time, and it seemed that neither had the upper hand. One would strike, the other would block and counter, only to have his one hit blocked. Occasionally, an attack would break through here or there, but I could see, as the battle wore on, that fewer and fewer of Varimathras's attacks hit, while more and more of Wrath's hit as his anger built.

I desperately wanted to help, but every fiber of my body did not seem to respond. I tried time and again to stand, even attempting to prop myself up with bones, but I was never able to get more than half my torso off the ground. I knew, then, that it was up to Varimathras; this was his fight, a duel of Dreadlords.

I could see now that Varimathras's army had been badly torn; a great deal of his skin was exposed, though most of it was now red or black with gashes and burns. Wrath was in slightly better shape, though half his breastplate had been torn off and he too bore strike marks. Despite their injuries, the too continued to fight ferociously, though I could see that each time Varimathras wounded Wrath that it only made Wrath angrier, increasing his speed and strength.

Then it happened; Varimathras struck, and Wrath twisted quickly to the side, grabbed Varimathras's arm, and threw him to the ground. Then, Wrath shot dozens of balls of fire at Varimathras, the white hot flames charring the badly wounded Dreadlord. Before Varimathras even hit the ground, Wrath fired a swarm of insects which began to gnaw on Varimathras before he hit the floor. Again, the room erupted with hideous laughter.

"After all these years of pathetic opponents, it feels good to finally kill one who is on my level," Wrath stated, hatred still blazing in his eyes. "Back then, back when you served the Legion, back before you became a traitor, I respected you. You were one of the strongest of the Nathrezim; along with Tichondrius, Mal'Ganis, and Balnazzar, you were in a pantheon of seemingly unstoppable Demons. I always aspired to perhaps one day join your council, and I was eager to slaughter when I heard the Legion would be overseeing the Scourge. I was excited when I was given a post, near you and Mal'Ganis, here in Lordaeron. Then, damned Sylvanas sought to 'free' us from our 'enslavement.' Enslavement? BAH! I loved serving the Legion, and I still love it! I would kill anyone who stood in the way of the Will of Sargeras!"

"Are you quite through?" Varimathras moaned, attempting to make it seem like the situation bored him.

"Yes, and you will be momentarily!" Wrath cried, stabbing downward with both claws.

"DARREN NOW!" Varimathras's words caught in my ear, and suddenly I was revitalized. I rushed towards Wrath, ramming my sword into his back. The Dreadlord screamed and wrenched in pain before flinging me back into the corpse pile. Varimathras saw his opening and tackled Wrath, sending him headlong into the opposite wall.

"H...how? YOUR FRIEND WAS DEAD!" Wrath screamed.

"No, surprisingly he can survive many things," Varimathras said coolly.

"Then...he was at least mortally injured!" Wrath gasped as he lay against the wall, Varimathras crushing his neck with one claw and gripping his chest with the other.

"My Vampiric Aura," Varimathras stated. "I would have been dead unless I used it, and some of its power also transferred to my friend." I was amazed at Varimathras; he had so many skills, so many tricks up his sleeve!

"NO! DAMN YOU ALL!" Wrath cried, struggling against Varimathras.

"Now, I could kill you traditionally, though I fear then you would continue to fight," Varimathras said. "Instead, here is a gift I have been preparing!" Varimathras began to chant arcane words I had never heard before, their strange tone seeming to drip from the walls, but especially from the ceiling.

Suddenly, Varimathras jumped back from Wrath, who charged at his foe. Our enemy was not fast enough, however, as a gigantic meteor wreathed in green flame crashed through the roof and blocked his path. The force of the impact fire rocks into the air, causing Wrath to have to shield his body with his already damaged wings. In the resulting crater, the meteor began to move, eventually taking shape as a Demon made of stone covered in emerald fire.

"AN INFERNAL!" Wrath screamed. "YOU HOPE TO HALT ME WITH THIS!" Wrath charged the creature, which smashed him across the side of the head with its right arm. It then brought its left downward knocking Wrath to the ground. I could hear the Dreadlord growling, and he rose, faster than lightning, to strike the creature in the chest, obliterating it in one decisive blow.

"You see Varimathras? You see?" Wrath seemed to growl and chuckle simultaneously. "No paltry Demon such as that can kill me!"

"But obviously one like me can," Varimathras's voice echoed from behind Wrath's position. Wrath turned quickly, but Varimathras was faster. In a split second, I saw Varimathras claw pierced Wrath's chest. The Dreadlord screamed as his body ripped apart; his body began to take the form of bats and dissipate as what was left of his armor clattered to the ground. Varimathras stood, panting, and then collapsed. I found some energy, perhaps as a result of the Vampiric Aura, and I rushed over to Varimathras's limp form. I had so many questions to ask him about what had been said: who were all these people? These battles? How did he know Wrath? I also had a deep desire to congratulate him for killing the final Warlord. I knew, however, that there was a more pressing task at hand.

I gathered my sword and shield and returned to Varimathras, his chest heaving slightly as he took pained breaths. He seemed to be muttering something again and again, but the words were unintelligible. I leaned in closer to his mouth in an attempt to hear his words, and several struck my ear.

"Potion...left...gauntlet..." Varimathras groaned, blood trailing from his lips. I acted quickly, sheathing my sword and dropping my shield so that I could grab at the gauntlet on his left hand. It was already badly damaged, with a large hole in the center and pieces missing here and there. I pried off the piece of armor and beneath it saw a glimmering vial of red liquid. I uncorked the vial and poured it into Varimathras's mouth; at first he coughed and spluttered, but within a few minutes he sat up and pushed himself to his feet. "Thank you, Darren."

"That...was impressive," I said, still in awe of what he had done.

"It was nothing. I am sorry that I held back in those past fights, but if I had not, we would not be having this conversation," Varimathras answered.

"No, it is fine, we won at least," I replied.

"Yes, no we had best return to the Undercity. Now that the Warlords are out of the way we are clear to assault the Scarlet Monastery." Varimathras looked at the hole in the ceiling that his falling Infernal had created. "Grab onto my back, Darren, and hold tight." I did as I was told, and moments later I felt a rush of wind on my face as we were flying through the sky. I looked back to see the fortress slowly fading in the distance, and thought back to the past few hours we had spent there, the battles we had just fought might ultimately determine the Forsaken's fate. And now it was almost here, the siege of the Scarlet Monastery. Perhaps at last we would be rid of the Scarlet Crusade! Though I was not sure if my Undead heart functioned, I felt something pounding in my chest, full of anticipation for the coming battle.

HES: All the Warlords lie dead and both Varimathras and Darren are returning to report the good news. And soon, very soon, the Forsaken are going to attack Scarlet Monastery! What is Sylvanas's plan for the assault? Will the Forsaken triumph or be defeated? How will Darren fare in the coming conflict? All these questions and more are sure to be answered in the coming chapters! And now it's time once again to answer the reviews!

KrystinKae: Yes...Lust was rather sickening; trust me, that was an awkward chapter to write! I'm glad you like my story, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Dejise the Wandering Huntress: Heh, I can see how you'd view Lust like that...she was rather...lewd to say the least. Yes, it was sad that Darren had a vision that didn't have any follow-up in reality, but at least he's keeping his head up. I'm glad you liked Varimathras in this chapter!

HES: Thanks for the reviews; keep sending them! The more I hear, the more motivated I am to write! Thanks so much to all the support you have all given me so far! Until next time!


	19. Chapter 18: Dark Designs

Chapter 18: Dark Designs

Varimathras was silent all the way back to the Undercity, though I understood his silence. We had just fought a string of tiring and difficult battles, and an even more daunting task lay before us: the siege of Scarlet Monastery.

I felt full of pride as I strode through the gates, the guards saluting Varimathras and I with respect. I held myself a little higher, proud to have been recognized for the deeds I had done. As we strode through the Undercity, Forsaken citizen greeted us joyfully and cheered our success.

"I thought our mission was covert," I muttered to Varimathras, "how do they all know about it?"

"Most likely they do not," the Dreadlord answered, "but realize we have done something of importance. I rarely leave the Undercity except for missions of great magnitude."

"Ah," I whispered back, and then continued to stride forward into Lady Sylvanas's throne room. Sylvanas nodded as we entered, and we both bowed before kneeling on the floor.

"Rise, heroes," Sylvanas said, her voice full of pleasure. "You have both done exceptionally. With the Warlords dead, we are free to assault the Scarlet Monastery."

"You flatter us, my lady," Varimathras stated, "we only did our job."

"But, you did it well, my servants," she replied before continuing. "As I was saying, the siege will commence tomorrow. Preparations are already in place and plans have been given to my generals. Our attack will succeed." She enunciated the final word, as if the endorse her point more deeply. "Varimathras, you will be assigned your normal battalion and attack the southern gate. Darren, you will have command of a unit of thirty other Forsaken warriors; they will report to you tomorrow morning. Your objective will be as shock troops in the front line; expect heavy fighting and possible casualties. I have tasked you with this job because I trust in your skills to overcome the attackers; should your troops survive, you will be part of the main force infiltrating the Monastery itself."

"My thanks, my Lady," I replied gratefully, bowing lower. "It is an honor to serve you."

"No complaints, Varimathras?" Sylvanas asked, turning to the Dreadlord. "Normally, when such confidence and privilege were bestowed upon another, especially Darren, you would be the first to note their flaws."

"Not this time, Lady Sylvanas," Varimathras answered calmly, his deep voice ringing out across the high-ceilinged throne room. "Battling alongside Darren showed me that he is quite skilled, though he has a long way to go."

"My thanks, Varimathras," I said, turning to the Demon.

"You will address him as General from now until the siege finishes," Sylvanas stated.

"My thanks, General," I corrected.

"And Varimathras, you shall address Darren as Lieutenant." I was stunned; had she really given me such a large promotion?

"You flatter me, Lady Sylvanas," I said, dropping so low that my forehead touched the floor.

"Rise, both of you," Sylvanas said, "I can only watch groveling for so long...though it pleases me for a time. Varimathras, report to the apothecary and see that the potion preparations are under way. Darren, return to the barracks and receive the new accouterments worthy of a lieutenant." We both nodded and bowed before exiting the room and going our separate ways.

No cheers or cries of thanks greeted me as I strode through the streets of the Undercity towards the barracks. Obviously, Varimathras was recognizable, especially since he was the only Dreadlord in the Undercity, perhaps the only one in the Tirisfal Glades now that Wrath was dead. It did not matter, however, as I was not searching for praise. "I live to serve the Dark Lady," I muttered to myself, "not to gain personal glory." I had to admit, however, that it was good to be recognized for what I had done.

As I entered the barracks, a guard wearing a bronze helmet with a visor that covered his face along with a plate suit of the same metal approached me. "You are Lieutenant Darren, correct?" He asked gruffly.

"Yes," I responded casually.

"Lady Sylvanas has requested that you be outfitted for the battle tomorrow. Follow me." I nodded and began to follow the soldier, noticing upon closer inspection that his breastplate bore many scratches and chinks. I followed him for several minutes down corridor after corridor, entering halls that I did not even know existed within the barracks. Finally, we arrived at our destination: the armory.

The room was of medium size; the walls were lined with various weapons and suits of armor. In the center of the room were benches where several blacksmiths worked tirelessly to repair armor, and I even saw a small forge in the back of the room.

"Lady Sylvanas believes you could use this," the guard who had led me to the armory said, indicating a suit of plate armor on the wall. "This is thorium, one of the strongest known metals in all of Azeroth. You should be flattered, Lady Sylvanas thinks highly of you." I gasped and looked at the armor; it would be an excellent replacement for the simple mail shirt I had been wearing up to this point.

"Thanks," I said, then began to remove the armor from the wall. It was heavy, but I managed to put it on. Though at first it felt cumbersome, after a few minutes of walking I began to feel more used to the weight.

"Would you like me to escort you back to your quarters, Lieutenant Darren?" The soldier asked.

"No, thank you, I will be fine," I replied. With that, I left the room and headed for my bunk.

My thoughts drifted as I walked down the hall to the sleeping quarters. These past days, weeks, months, years...it felt like so long ago that I was awakened and brought before Lady Sylvanas. Was it all real? Had this been a dream? No, it had all happened. These experiences had shaped me, molded me into what I am. Whatever life I led before this, it did not matter. I was a new man, one who saw his course in life and lived only to achieve his goal!

I felt full of happiness and a sense of accomplishment as I removed my new armor and placed it beside my bed. I then removed my sword and shield and laid them there as well. I slumped back on my bed, full of longing for the battle on the coming day, realizing that everything I had lived for up to this moment was about to be tested. I felt no fear, only excitement as the battle drew ever closer.

Then, sleep came to me, perhaps the most restful sleep I had ever had...

_The woman appeared in my dreams again. She stood beside a tree stump, chopping the fallen trunk into lumber with a hatchet. The man I had seen before appeared behind her, kissing her on the cheek. She giggled, dropping the hatchet and turning to embrace him before they locked in a deep, romantic kiss. _

I awoke and heard the sounds of soldiers moving all around me. I had no time to think about the woman; it was time for battle. I put on my armor and grabbed my sword and shield. The unit of thirty Forsaken warriors Sylvanas had informed me about stood in a circle around my bed.

"What is your command, Lieutenant Darren?" One asked.

"Soldiers, we march to Scarlet Monastery!" I roared. A great cheer arose; the greatest battle of our lives lay ahead.

HES: The battle draws near! All Darren has prepared and worked for as a Forsaken will be tested as the Siege of Scarlet Monastery begins! Now to answer those reviews...

Dejise the Wandering Huntress: Wrath kind of knew what he was talking about...but he was somewhat misinformed and overconfident. I will try to update again ASAP!

OmegaTrooper: I'm glad you liked the fight! Sorry about the accidental word use, but everyone makes mistakes; I'll try to go back and fix them...one of these days.

Promise of the Ghost Queen: I'm glad you liked Varimathras in the previous chapter! Yes, the upcoming battle will be epic; I hope you enjoy it!

HES: Thanks again for all the reviews! We are coming to the long-awaited battle, and I promise you it will include action, suspense, and maybe a few things you aren't expecting! Pre-season starts this week, but I should have some time to write; I plan to try and update as soon as I can! Please review, I value all the input everyone has given me thus far!


	20. Chapter 19: Scarlet Siege

Chapter 19: Scarlet Siege

Cheers erupted from the Forsaken civilians of the Undercity as the military columns marched through the streets and out of the gates. It was a glorious spectacle: hundreds of troops arrayed for battle, marching in rhythm as we headed towards the greatest battle of our lives. As shock troops, my unit and I were near the front of the column, and we were the first to be greeted by the joyous cries of our Forsaken brethren.

As we left the Undercity, I felt a strange sense of longing: it had been a little over two years since I had joined the Forsaken, but it seemed like I had served Lady Sylvanas my entire life. The Undercity was my home, the Forsaken my brothers and sisters; would I survive to see them again? Would our attack be successful or were we doomed to finally be crushed by the Scarlet Crusade? I knew, however, that the outcome mattered more than my own desires; if I died to defeat the enemies of the Forsaken, my sacrifice would have meaning.

The army trudged along the road from the Undercity as it curved northeast towards our destination. We were deathly silent, the only sounds were the tramping of our feet on the cobblestones and the rolling wheels of the ballistas and catapults that abominations were pushing towards the rear of our force. The wind whipped around our force, the eerie chill seeming to push us forward while whispering, "Go..."

I felt nostalgia as I saw the pool I had poisoned almost a year before; the Scarlet Crusade camp that had once stood nearby was now mere wreckage, the skeletons of fallen warriors littered between the rotting tents and discarded weaponry. It had been my doing, I knew, and I felt a sense of pride that my small victories had helped lead to this day.

Everything seemed to fall into place so well, and the rhythmic beats of the marching troops filled me with a sense of purpose. Our attack _would_ succeed!

And then I saw it: the Scarlet Monastery. It was a large building of gray-brown stone situated atop a high hill. The building itself showed signs of age, with lichen and moss growing in patches all along the tall parapets. Red banner emblazoned with a golden symbol that resembled a sword with two hilts: one in the normal position and another slightly up the blade. Conifers grew along the hill, and rustled slowly in the dying breeze.

Suddenly, I heard a small rustling from behind a bush and our column was met with a hail of arrows. I had no time to raise my shield, but four arrows shattered harmlessly against my plate armor. I saw, however, that some of our soldiery were not so lucky and lay either dead or dying, arrows sticking of their bodies. I could already see medics rushing over to the wounded, administering either bandages or healing magic to aid the wounded.

"Rangers! Raise your shields and form a turtle-style defense!" I heard a voice cry, and instinctively the troops formed a circle around the wounded and their healers. I joined the circle and helped deflect the next volley of arrows, though I could not see where the enemies hid. I scanned the tree-line and noticed patches of red here and there beneath the undergrowth, though they seemed to move about rapidly after each volley.

"They wear red, the blasted fools!" A voice cried. "Push forward into the trees, we will find them and bring them down! My unit will stay and guard the injured!" I looked to see it was another Forsaken lieutenant, dressed in armor similar to mine. I nodded before crying out.

"Troops, slaughter the rangers!" My cry was taken up by the troops as we rushed up the hill and into the tree-line. The rangers fired, but the wind seemed to aid us and a swift gust blew most of the projectiles harmlessly to the ground. As we broke through the tree cover, I saw the Scarlet Rangers, clad in their red tabards and leather armor, carrying short bows and quivers of arrows. The fired one final, desperate volley which slew several Forsaken, but it was not enough to stop our charge. A few of the Rangers drew swords and tried to challenge us in hand-to-hand combat, but we easily hacked them down. Some Rangers fled, though I caught up with two and beheaded both with a single stroke of my sword. Another Ranger tried to jump me from the left, but I slammed my shield into his face, breaking his nose before delivering a stab to his heart.

Suddenly, I noticed a beam of shining light to my left and dodged just in time for the blast to miss me, only to watch it scythe through the ranks of the Forsaken army. The beam hit a tree and stopped, and I noticed a shimmering arrow quivering in the trunk.

"He has holy arrows! Take him down!" A stern voice called out. I turned to my left and saw a Scarlet Ranger bearing a more intricate, silverly bow with a quiver of shimmering arrows. Our lines rushed forward, and the Ranger cracked a wicked smile before releasing a second arrow which cleaved through armor like an ax through a sheet of thin parchment. Screams erupted from the wounded and dying, but our force rushed onward, overwhelming the Ranger before he could fire a third shot. As I saw the warriors plunging their weapons into his body, the Ranger laughed and, slowly and with great effort, pointed to his right.

"Release the hounds!" A stern voice boomed out across the hilltop. I looked rapidly for the voice, but it seemed to erupt from everywhere. As the echo faded away, dozens of dogs with red-brown fur, small ears, and vicious claws and teeth rushed at us. The canines set upon us, our lines breaking as they pounced on warriors, ripping their bodies to shreds. I wheeled around, swinging my sword in a great arc, cleaving the legs off one dog while severing another's head from its shoulders. The stern voice continued to laugh, the echoes mocking our force as the dogs continued to slaughter our forces.

_Perhaps the voice is controlling the dogs_, I thought. "Troops, find the source of the voice and kill him!" Members of my unit nodded, and followed me as we rushed around the area, killing dog after dog while inspecting tree, shrub, and boulder we could find. Finally, behind a roughly hewn rock we saw a balding Scarlet Ranger with heavy leather gloves, a spiked metal collar, and a whip.

"You unholy beasts think you can challenge me, the Houndmaster?" The ranger taunted.

"No more words," I replied coldly and lunged. He swung his whip but, remembering my fight with Lust, I knew how to counter this type of attack. I extended my left arm and caught the whip, wrapping it around my wrist and yanking back, pulling the Houndmaster towards me. Dogs rushed to defend their master, but my soldiers pushed them back, killing them one by one.

"You unholy creatures! Even if I die here, you have only beaten our vanguard! You will all perish! All of you will be cleansed and sent to the deepest pits of Hell!" The Houndmaster cried as I pulled him closer. I could see not only righteous fury, but also fear behind his stern eyes.

"Wait for me there, then," I answered, plunging my sword into his gut before twisting it, wrenching it outward and kicking the Houndmaster into the pack of dogs. The canines looked confused, and then, seeing their defeated master, turned tail and fled. I looked back to see the other dogs doing the same, running every which way to escape the battle.

Our lines quickly reformed as we pushed onward up the hill, meeting no more resistance from the rangers who had either been killed or fled, most likely to warn the sentries of our arrival. I saw the ground was already littered with Forsaken bodies, but compared to the size of our army the casualties were minimal. As we neared the Monastery atop the hill, several generals simultaneously cried, "Halt!"

We instinctively stopped our marched, and waited for our next order. "Siege engines, load and begin bombardment of the monastery walls. Troops, form up and defend the war machines at all costs." The voice was familiar, and I realized it belonged to Varimathras.

The catapults and ballistas where loaded and pushed forward by the muscular abominations. My unit and other units of warriors moved forward to surround the machines. Things seemed oddly silent until the first volley ripped forth from the war engines; most shots fell short, though several hit the monastery walls, sending masonry crashing to the ground.

"Adjust trajectory!" A Forsaken engineer called as he tinkered with the gears on a ballista. Other engineers nodded and did the same, while the Abominations loaded the machines for the next volley. Before the next volley could be released, however, a great rumbling was heard across the hill; at first, the sound seemed single, but slowly it broke up into multiple sounds like iron hitting the earth. I looked towards the source of the sound and saw several score Scarlet Crusaders mounted atop burgundy, tan, and pure white steeds. These mounted warriors were armed with either elaborate lances or long swords and wore heavy plate armor with a crimson trim. Before our forces could react, the knights were upon us, their lances shattering as their pierced armor, their swords flashing as they slashed the limbs off Abominations and disabled our siege engines. Several Abominations seemed to shake off the strikes and fought back, knocking many of the knights from their horses before crushing them beneath their large, putrid feet. One regiment of unlucky knights plunged their lances into a bloated Abomination, their voices rising in a cheer, before it released a putrid gas from its punctured organs, causing them all to cough and gag before slumping in their saddles, dead.

Our infantry followed a different approach to react to the charging knights; the shield armed warriors like me stepped back into the back ranks while the warriors carrying spears and pikes moved forward, their long polearms extending several feet before them. The knights saw our defense and attempted to stop their steeds, but the charge was too far in progress, and the horses bore their master to their deaths as they were skewered and pushed from their saddles.

The remaining knights were easier prey, and the mages in our midst sent blasts and flame and ice to slaughter the Scarlet Crusaders. Soon, our enemies became desperate and mounted wild charges, slaughtering a few of our warriors here and there at the cost of their own lives. Several of the cavalry took to dismounting and rushing into our midst, releasing great blasts of Holy energy, melting apart scores of the Forsaken army before finally running out of energy and meeting their doom at the hands of our forces. I slew one of these suicidal paladins myself, avenging the lives of those who had fallen.

It took minutes before we were able not only to recover from the attack, but also to assess the damage. I had been lucky enough to be in the rear ranks of the warriors, and so did not have to directly face any of the knights. It now appeared that, although many of our foes lay dead, their objective had been completed; all of our siege engines lay destroyed or disabled, and most of our loaders, the Abominations, were nothing more than rotting, punctured husks lying on the ground.

"Heal the wounded, and then proceed," I heard the stern voice of Varimathras behind me.

"But, General Varimathras, how will we assault the monastery now?" Another voice, most likely a Captain or other officer, asked. "The walls were barely damaged and the gate is too strong to be destroyed with the use of our machines of war."

"Ha, do not be so narrow-minded," the Dreadlord replied. "_I _will deal with the gate." Without another word, Varimathras extended his great bat-like wings and flew off towards the great steel-bound portcullis. He chanted the arcane words I had heard him utter so many times before, and soon his hands were wreathed in flame; he slashed his claws forward, the metal melting before him as the mighty gate was slowly bust surely reduced to nothing. Many of the soldiers stood in awe, but I knew what Varimathras was capable of and thus I expected no less of our General. Though most stood stock-still, the officers, such as myself, knew what to do.

"Troops, advance!" We seemed to cry in unison, and again our column marched forward, with some of the wounded still itching bandages or newly-healed skin.

"If he was just going to destroy the gate, why use the siege machines at all?" I heard a soldier in my unit whisper.

"Because, soldier, it takes energy," I replied. "I barely understand magic myself, but no wizard has unlimited power. Varimathras wants to conserve every bit he can for the coming fight. Once we are inside, things are going to be a lot more difficult."

"More difficult, lieutenant?" He asked, shocked.

"Yes," I answered, solemnly. "You may not have noticed but we have lost at least one-tenth of our army already, and we are not yet inside." As I said this, my unit, along with the other shock troops who had been lucky enough to survive thus far, entered the Monastery by ascending a flight of stone steps.

Our enemies were not in essence, which gave us time to look around the vaulted ceilings and vast chambers of the Monastery. We seemed to be in some sort of foyer with a half dozen passages diverging in various directions.

"What's left of the Shock troops, Infantry Units one through eleven, and Medical Units four through six, you are assigned to the Armory," Varimathras indicated, pointing to a hallway lined with weapons. "Infantry Units twelve through seventeen along with Medical Units seven through twenty, head for the library. Infantry Units..." But I did not have time to listen to the rest of Varimathras's orders, and instead I, along with my unit and our allies, raced into the hallway leading to the armory.

As with the armory in the Undercity, the walls were lined with all manner of weapons and armor. There was no time to inspect them, however, as almost immediately a door swung shut behind us as the final members of our force entered the hallway. I turned to see some of the warriors trying to pry open the door, but it seemed magically sealed.

"We can deal with that problem later," I saw a lieutenant to my left declaring. "For now let us clear out the damned Crusaders." Almost as if summoning them, a force of Scarlet Crusaders, most armed with shields and hammers, charged into the fray.

Their hammers glowed gold, and its seemed that armor was nothing to these enchanted weapons. As one Crusader charged me, I was lucky enough to raise my sword to parry his hammer before ramming my shield into his skull and knocking him against the wall. I whirled to slash another, who dropped his hammer from the force of my blow. As I brought my blade to slay him, he began to chant strange words and golden energy surrounded his hands. I turned just in time to dodge a strike from the Crusader I thought I had slain seconds earlier with my shield bash, but instead I realized what was occurring; all across the room, when a Crusader fell another word chant the odd words and the wounded Crusader would rise to do battle again.

"We have to kill them more quickly! Do not give them a chance to use their magic!" I cried, beheading the first Crusader before chopping off the other's arm, stopping him from completing another healing spell. I then slash across his chest, my enchanted sword ripping through his armor and sending him to Death's Door. I turned to stab another of the blasted Paladins, but it seemed that our forces were evenly matched. Though we had strength of numbers, their healers were far more efficient than ours and their Holy spells seared our Undead flesh. I was unlucky enough to have one Holy blast hit my right arm, causing a horrid burning sensation; unable to strike, I saw my attack raising his hammer to bring it down in a death blow. Suddenly, my arm felt normal and I drove my blade into his throat. I turned to see an oddly familiar face smiling at me, and a familiar laugh echoing through the hall.

"Grayus? Hale?" I said, amazed, looking at the two Forsaken surgeons who had revived me two years hence. "What are you doing here?"

"You thought our abilities were reserved only for the revival chamber?" Hale laughed. "We are not just surgeons, young Darren..."

"...we are also quite adept at healing magic," Grayus finished. "But we will have time to catch up later. For now, you have Crusaders to kill and we have allies to heal." I nodded and turned back around, blocking a hammer strike with my shield, allowing a soldier to my right to finish off the confused Crusader.

The stalemate continued for nearly an hour, with neither side seemingly to give any ground. The Forsaken troops were no deeper in the armory than we had been when we arrived, and it seemed our battle was going nowhere. Then _he_ arrived.

He stood a head taller than all the other Crusaders, his red helmet gleamed in the dim light of the torches. He bore a mighty battle-ax in his right hand, and a spiked pauldron dominated his left shoulder. He wore chain-mail leggings, though his chest was bare, revealing a mass of rippling muscles. When he spoke, his voice seemed to inspire his allies, while striking fear into our hearts.

"What vile vermin are these?" His voice roared. "What hideous, unholy creatures pollute the sanctity of our most sacred monastery? I am Herod, the Scarlet Champion, and you will all die! Be cleansed by my Blades of Light!" Without another word, Herod lunged forward, his ax shining pure golden. In a split second, his ax bit and tore through six Forsaken, their severed bodies all falling to the floor as if a rain of corpses surrounded Herod. He turned, cleaving a lieutenant in two who attempted to lunge at him from behind. I readied myself to charge, but suddenly, I saw something far more confusing; among the Scarlet Crusaders stood a woman who looked oddly familiar...

...the woman from my dreams!

"My unit, follow and defend me!" I ordered, rushing headlong into the mass of Crusaders, ducking Herod's vicious strike. My warriors followed cutting down Crusaders who faced them until we reached the woman. She stood stolid, before giving a brief smirk and racing off down an adjacent hallway. "After her!" I cried, my unit following in my footsteps as we ran off after her.

"Lieutenant Darren! What are you doing? Stay and help us fight Herod!" I heard someone cry, but I did not care. I did not care about the Crusade, not about our mission, not about the door that slammed and bolted shut magically behind me, cutting me off from my unit; all that mattered was the woman.

I knew it was her, that beautiful face had filled my dreams many times over the past two years. This was my only chance to find out who she was, why I envisioned her, and why she had joined the Crusade. She stopped running as we entered a circular, empty room with tall stained glass windows depicting heroes of the Scarlet Crusade. She held her two-handed hammer at the ready and stared me in the eyes as I gripped my sword and shield.

"Unholy creature," she said coldly, "welcome to your tomb!"

HES: The Forsaken have entered the Monastery and their attack is going fairly well; among the chaos of battle Darren has found the woman he has constantly dreamt about. Who is she? Will Darren defeat her? Or, will she slay him? Find out in the next chapter of Forsaken Love! Now, time to answer the reviews:

Dejise the Wandering Huntress: Sorry about the shortness of the last chapter; I hope this lengthy one made up for it! And yes, Darren is a fairly modest guy.

KrystinKae: Thanks for the review! I am glad you like my story!

OmegaTrooper: Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! And yes, the climax is nigh...

Marakanis Iceblade: I'm really happy you enjoy my story so much! As for the Blood Elves, they will not be appearing in the story, but thanks for the input!

HES: Thanks to everyone who reviewed; keep sending them, I really like hearing your thoughts, comments, and questions on my chapters! Also, as a little note, I hope no one was offended by the part where the Forsaken fought the Scarlet Hounds because of the recent dog-fighting issues in the news; I am totally AGAINST animal-fighting of any kind, and this part of the story was planned before the Michael Vick incident occurred.

The next chapter will be filled with interesting answers to questions that have plagued Darren all this time! Be sure to check it out, and thanks again for all your support so far!


	21. Chapter 20: Lost Love, Forsaken Feelings

Chapter 20: Lost Love, Forsaken Feelings

We circled each other, weapons at the ready, our gazes locking in a cold stare of fury and hatred. Why had I dreamt so long about a Scarlet Crusader? Who was she to me? Was it merely a coincidence?

She took advantage of my pondering to lunge forward, hammer blazing with holy light; I raised my shield just in time to halt the blow, though the force of the impact flung me back into one of the walls. I shook my head and gritted my teeth, readying myself for the next attack.

Again, I was narrowly able to halt the blow, this time blocking it with my sword. It was difficult to hold her back, as she swung with the force of both arms and I could only block with a weapon supported by one. As she pushed against my sword, bringing both her weapon and mine closer to my unarmored face, I jabbed my shield into her gut. She was startled by the attack, and I used the surprise to wrench my sword free and slash at her face. She jumped back, causing my attack to go wide, leaving me open to a kick to the face.

I stumbled backwards, pain shooting through my jaw. She took advantage of my pain and swung her hammer at my chest, flinging me into the wall once again. Had it not been for my plate armor, I am sure that said blow would have ended my life.

Now, I was angry; I no longer cared who she was at the moment, only that she was an enemy who had to die. I stabbed at her chest, though she blocked with her hammer and pushed against my sword, forcing me back a few feet. I began to push with my shield, causing her to step back as well; as she walked backwards, she stumbled slightly on an uneven flagstone. I saw my opportunity and slashed, cutting a huge gash from her right shoulder down her arm to the wrist, causing her right hand to become lax on the hammer. I smiled cruelly, and raised my sword to deliver the finishing blow.

Then, I stopped, knowing that I had to find out who she was. I lowered my sword and stared straight at her, her cold eyes still beautiful as they had been in my dreams.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Finish me off, Undead beast!" She cried. "Ever second you waste is a second I might use to defeat you!"

"Who are you?" I asked calmly.

"No one to the likes of _you_," she spat. "I am a warrior of the Crusade. My husband and daughter were taken by the Plague. Now I live to honor their memory by avenging their deaths!"

"Husband?" I mused out loud, thinking back to the man I had seen embracing her in my visions. I then removed the thoughts from my mind and stared coldly at her. It seemed she was nothing to me, perhaps merely deja-vu or some other mental trick. At that moment, I resolved to kill her. "Any last words?" I asked, coldly, knowing that her death would bring the Forsaken closer to the victory we desired.

"I will wait for you in Hell, monster!" She screamed. Time seemed to slow down as I swung my sword, swinging it through the air as it fell ever closer to her injured form. As the blade flashed before my face, I saw my features reflected in the gleaming metal. My skin was rotten and missing in patches, revealing the bones of my skull beneath, but somehow I knew that my face was the same as...her husband's!

I stopped my swing right before her forehead and stepped backwards, immediately confused, shaking my head again and again. Was I her husband? Was the woman I had thought about all this time my wife?

She seized the opportunity to rise to her feet and begin chanting a strange spell; balls of holy energy wreathed her hands as I saw the wounds on her right arm began to heal. She stared at me oddly, as if wondering why I had not finished her. Then, the dark stare of vengeance clouded her beautiful face and she struck again. Her arm was still not fully recovered, and so the attack was somewhat slower than before, allowing me to block once again with my shield. I could no longer attack, not until I was sure if we had once been married; I needed to know who she was, for I could not bring myself to kill her if she truly was my former wife.

I did not know what to do; I could not openly declare the possibility that she was my wife, for she would see it as Undead trickery. I had been told of how corrupt members of the Crusade often were, how they had slain other humans who they believed to carry the taint of Undeath. I could foresee no solution to my plight, as there was no way to prove any of my theories at this moment. Instead, I concentrated on blocking her strikes and dodging blasts of holy energy, though one came at me too quickly and I felt the attack sear through my armor and scorch my flesh.

She smirked wickedly as I recoiled from the pain. "Serves you right, monster!" She cackled, slamming her hammer into my left leg, cracking the armor and connecting with the bone. I shuddered as I felt the pain, attempting to limp away as she brought the weapon onto my chest. Her attacks seemed to have gained strength, or perhaps my armor was weakening under the constant attacks, for my breastplate cracked in half, exposing the thin mail shirt on my chest. I coughed as she pulled her hammer back, readying it for the final strike.

This was the end; my leg was too injured for me to dodge, my armor was broken, and both my chest and face were open targets. I struggled to brace myself, raising my shield and sword futilely. Even if I could block the first attack, I did not have the ability to spring forward and counter-attack. I was, essentially, waiting for my death.

No, I could not just accept this as the end. I had come so far, fought so many enemies, dodged death countless times, and finally come face to face with the woman I had been thinking about for months on end. I _would_ survive; I _needed_ to be sure of who this woman was!

I looked at her hammer and saw that it was wreathed with a golden aura. She brought it at me with incredible speed and force, but I ducked and drove my sword at her chest. She saw my attack and stepped backwards, narrowly avoiding my blade.

"You fight well, for an unholy cretin," she stated, "but I have trained for years to slaughter your kind, and I will not be defeated so easily."

"Please...stop," I rasped, trying to push away the pain still remaining in my leg and chest. "We need...not...fight."

She greeted we with malicious laughter. "Your trickery will fail. Your kind often beg innocence, but I know the truth. The Undead have set out to infect this land, to make sure every living thing on Azeroth becomes one of their own. You think the Crusade is the only organization who sees the taint you have inflicted on this world? Our estranged brothers, the Argent Dawn, fight against you monstrosities daily! The Alliance, led by the humans of Stormwind, has taken to purifying countless Undead with the help of their own Paladins! Even the Horde fights against the Undead, killing them in droves as they attempt to taint the far off land of Kalimdor!"

"That is a lie!" I cried, filling with rage. "The Horde are our allies!"

"And where are these allies now?" She shot back. "Only your kind have come. The Horde knew this attack would fail. They have used your kind, allied with you only as a matter of convenience. You are nothing more than a pawn of the Horde; their toy with your kind, acting as your friends only so long as you fight alongside them. Then, once they have won, they can turn on you in your already weakened state." I thought back to some of the other members of the Horde I had met, had worked alongside, who had even saved my life! Was this really true? Were the Forsaken nothing more than tool to further the ambitions of the Horde?

I shook my head and stared her straight in the eyes. "Your mind has been far too poisoned. I believe some of what you say, that there are groups fighting to eradicate my kind, but I cannot trust that the Horde is one of them. Perhaps they fight the Scourge, a force we ourselves battle..."

"Scourge? You Undead are all the same! Do not try to play mind games with me!" She cried.

"We are the Forsaken, a rebel group who seeks to destroy the Scourge as much as you do," I replied, a hint of annoyance in my voice.

"There is no difference! A monster is a monster!" She screamed, holding her hammer high above her head. I saw holy energy sparking from the metal as her spell began to take shape. "Now, die!"

I raised my shield, bracing for the oncoming blow. It was hopeless; whether she had been my wife or not, she was not going to spare my life. The Crusade had corrupted her mind from who she had once been. Memories flooded back, one by one, and I remembered from the moment I met her, the kind, strong woman who had stood beside me until my death...

The shock of my shield breaking brought me back to reality, as the hammer moved ever closer to my face, the metal gleaming golden. Though it was painful, I side stepped the blow, feeling a gust of air whoosh by my face as the weapon came within a fraction of an inch of my ear. She brought the weapon back, readying it for another strike.

Time seemed to slow down as the weapon inched towards my face. I had no shield, and my sword could not stop a strike with that level of power and momentum. It appeared now was my time to die; I had come through so much only to die, ironically, at the hands of my former wife, a member of an organization I had fought to undermine for two years. It seemed horribly tragic that there was no way I could stop her, no way I could prove who I was. Then, in a split second, I remembered...

"Stop, Sophia my love, let us not fight..." The words came from mouth in a calm voice that barely sounded like my own; it was deeper, stronger, without the raspy scrapes of the Forsaken voice I had carried these past years. I saw shock in her eyes, a tear flowing down her beautiful cheek.

"My love! Arthur!" She screamed, her voice full of both confusion and joy. But it was too late.

The momentum had been too great, the force of the blow too powerful, and there was no way she could stop it now. The last thing I ever saw was my wife's face, her beautiful burgundy hair swishing side to side, her pale, silky cheeks stricken with tears, her lustrous blue eyes watching my broken body fall to the ground.

The End

HES: And so the story of Darren, or should I say Arthur, comes to a close. He fought hard, overcame many obstacles, and was eventually reunited with his beloved wife, Sofia. Though it was she who killed him, his life, and afterlife, seemed to come full circle!

Anyway, what'd I'd like to say now may seem like a bit of a rant, but please bear with me. First of all, I want to thank you, the readers, for supporting me all this time with your excellent reviews; hearing your opinions really inspired me to work harder and update sooner. This story has been the most popular one I have ever written, and its thanks to all of you! Thanks again!

Secondly, I'd like to tell you a bit of background about this story from outside the realm of fiction. Initially, this idea for a story came to me late one night and I belted out the prologue in a matter of minutes. I had planned for the story to be roughly five chapters, with more or less the same beginning and ending that you have all read. As I wrote more, I came to love the character of Darren and your compliments spurred me to develop the story more fully, adding enough chapters to make it four times longer than I originally planned!

Finally, I'd like to send out a special thanks to my good friend and fellow writer OmegaTrooper for the countless minutes he spent listening to my ideas and chapter plans, and offering his opinions on them.

Now, to answer reviews within a chapter for the final time...

Jjvalour: Well, as you can see, Darren, rather than his wife, was killed. I'm glad you like my portrayal of the Forsaken!

Fluttercanon: I'm glad my story had you in suspense! I hope you enjoyed the conclusion!

Marakanis Iceblade: Yeah, the battle was going favorably enough for the Forsaken; they did get into the Monastery after all. As for an invasion of Tyr's Hand or Stratholme...that sadly cannot occur since the story is over! Perhaps I will put that in a future tale!

Dejise the Wandering Huntress: Just like Fluttercanon, I'm glad that my suspense got to you! And yes, I'm also glad that Sophia being a Scarlet Crusader surprised you!

Promise of the Ghost Queen: I'm glad you thought the last chapter was the best one; I worked really hard on it!

OmegaTrooper: As you found out, Darren sadly met his match and his maker. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter!

HES: Well, thanks yet again to all of my loyal fans who have supported me the past year and several months since I began writing Forsaken Love. I will answer you reviews for this chapter personally, but obviously not in another chapter! I hope you all enjoyed my story and I wish you good luck and happiness in your life! Until my next story!


End file.
